2011 Burkinabè protests
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Burkinabè protests are a series of popular protests in Burkina Faso
.
over unpaid housing allowances; President Blaise Compaoré
briefly fled the capital and sought safety in his hometown of Ziniaré
. By Sunday 17 April, the mutiny had spread to the town of Po
in southern Burkina Faso; there were also protests over a court's decision to sentence several officers to prison sentences.
On 22 April, a coalition of 34 Burkinabè opposition parties called for a rally on 30 April to demand President Compaoré's resignation.
By 27 April, farmers were protesting in Bobo-Dioulasso
over low prices and merchants rioted in Koudougou
over the closure of 40 shops due to unpaid rent. The house of Koudougou's mayor and its police station were burned. Later, that same evening, riot police joined the widespread mutiny in Ouagadougou
.
Four young demonstrators protesting the police mutiny on 28 April were injured when police fired live ammunition to disperse protesters after they torched a police station in Ouagadougou.
On 29 April, President Blaise Compaoré
announced he had negotiated with the army and they had agreed to put a stop to the mutinies and protests ravaging the country.
Some 3,000 protesters attended the opposition rally on 30 April in Ouagadougou, which lasted for hours despite the hot weather. Several local pop music stars joined the protest, performing and calling on Compaoré to step down. Several protesters carried signs comparing Compaoré to ousted Tunisia
n strongman Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in a January revolution
. Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara
, an opposition leader, said the rally was to demonstrate the desire of the Burkinabè people for reforms so that wealth from Burkina Faso's natural resources is distributed more evenly, not just benefiting those who are already rich and powerful.
Health Minister Adama Traoré
said on 30 April that six people had died so far as a result of the mutinies, including an 11-year-old reportedly shot and killed while at school.
On 1 May, an affiliation of trade union
s and civil servants in Ouagadougou canceled a planned march to commemorate May Day
and protest the government due to concerns about bolstered security and the risk of agents provocateurs
infiltrating the demonstration.
On 15 May, soldiers fired their guns in the air through the night, apparently to protest the tardiness of reforms and benefits promised to the army rank-and-file.
Three people were reportedly killed and 136 were injured during major daylong protests by students and soldiers in Ouagadougou on 24 May. Students also protested in Gaoua
and Bobo-Dioulasso in support of a teachers' strike, torching ruling party offices in Gaoua.
The teachers' union and the government reached an agreement on 25 May, the day after the violent demonstrations, to raise wages in exchange for an end to the strike.
Soldiers mutinied again on 27 May in Tenkodogo
and 1 June in Bobo-Dioulasso, among other cities and barracks particularly in eastern and northern Burkina Faso, firing into the air for hours on end in both daytime and nighttime hours. Shooting reportedly quieted in the north by 27 May after continuing throughout the weekend, but it had again spread to other parts of the country by that time.
On 3 June 2011, at least seven people were killed as pro-government forces quelled the protests and mutiny in Bobo-Dioulasso, including a 14-year-old girl. An army spokesman said 109 were detained in the government's strongest effort yet to end the mutiny. Traders upset by mutineers' extensive looting in Bobo-Dioulasso called for the government to offer swift recompense for their losses.
The government said it replaced all 13 regional governors as of 9 June, appointing three army officers among others to replace them in a bid to ease tensions.
, a key figure in the protest movement, said the opposition had declined to be represented in the committee over concerns that the changes to the constitution would allow President Blaise Compaoré
to further extend his term of office rather than creating a more democratic process in Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
.
Background
On 15 February soldiers mutinied in the capital OuagadougouOuagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
over unpaid housing allowances; President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
briefly fled the capital and sought safety in his hometown of Ziniaré
Ziniaré
Ziniaré is a town located in the province of Oubritenga in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of Oubritenga Province and Plateau-Central Region, and the birthplace of current President Blaise Compaoré.- External links :*...
. By Sunday 17 April, the mutiny had spread to the town of Po
Po
-Places:* Po , a major Italian river* Pô , the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy* Potha, the name of two villages in Pakistan* Po, Wiang Kaen, a village in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand...
in southern Burkina Faso; there were also protests over a court's decision to sentence several officers to prison sentences.
Protests
The mutiny followed popular protests over rising prices in several cities across Burkina Faso, and protests starting 22 February over the death of a student in police custody in February, as well as the shooting of several other protesters. Five student protesters were reportedly killed in February. France24 suggested that Burkina Faso could be caught up in a full-scale uprising similar to that seen in several North African and Middle Eastern countries, proposing the rise of a "Burkinabè Spring".On 22 April, a coalition of 34 Burkinabè opposition parties called for a rally on 30 April to demand President Compaoré's resignation.
By 27 April, farmers were protesting in Bobo-Dioulasso
Bobo-Dioulasso
Bobo-Dioulasso is a city with a population of about 435,543 , the second largest city in Burkina Faso, Africa, after Ouagadougou, the nation's capital. The name means literally, "home of the Jula who speak Bobo," and is possibly a creation of the French who misunderstood the identity complexities...
over low prices and merchants rioted in Koudougou
Koudougou
Koudougou is a town in the province of Boulkiemdé, west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. It is mainly inhabited by Mossi, and has 131,825 inhabitants, as of 2006...
over the closure of 40 shops due to unpaid rent. The house of Koudougou's mayor and its police station were burned. Later, that same evening, riot police joined the widespread mutiny in Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
.
Four young demonstrators protesting the police mutiny on 28 April were injured when police fired live ammunition to disperse protesters after they torched a police station in Ouagadougou.
On 29 April, President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
announced he had negotiated with the army and they had agreed to put a stop to the mutinies and protests ravaging the country.
Some 3,000 protesters attended the opposition rally on 30 April in Ouagadougou, which lasted for hours despite the hot weather. Several local pop music stars joined the protest, performing and calling on Compaoré to step down. Several protesters carried signs comparing Compaoré to ousted Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n strongman Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, who was toppled in a January revolution
Tunisian revolution
The Tunisian Revolution is an intensive campaign of civil resistance, including a series of street demonstrations taking place in Tunisia. The events began in December 2010 and led to the ousting of longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011...
. Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara
Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara
Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara is a Burkinabé politician and the President of the Union for Rebirth/Sankarist Movement party....
, an opposition leader, said the rally was to demonstrate the desire of the Burkinabè people for reforms so that wealth from Burkina Faso's natural resources is distributed more evenly, not just benefiting those who are already rich and powerful.
Health Minister Adama Traoré
Adama Traoré
Adama Traoré is an Ivorian football player currently playing for A-League club Gold Coast United.-Biography:...
said on 30 April that six people had died so far as a result of the mutinies, including an 11-year-old reportedly shot and killed while at school.
On 1 May, an affiliation of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s and civil servants in Ouagadougou canceled a planned march to commemorate May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
and protest the government due to concerns about bolstered security and the risk of agents provocateurs
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
infiltrating the demonstration.
On 15 May, soldiers fired their guns in the air through the night, apparently to protest the tardiness of reforms and benefits promised to the army rank-and-file.
Three people were reportedly killed and 136 were injured during major daylong protests by students and soldiers in Ouagadougou on 24 May. Students also protested in Gaoua
Gaoua
Gaoua is a market town in southern Burkina Faso known for its superstitious values and customs.Population 26,023 Located in the red earth, green hills, and fast flowing streams of southwestern Burkina Faso, Gaoua is the capital of Poni Province and forms a sort of capital for the sacred rites and...
and Bobo-Dioulasso in support of a teachers' strike, torching ruling party offices in Gaoua.
The teachers' union and the government reached an agreement on 25 May, the day after the violent demonstrations, to raise wages in exchange for an end to the strike.
Soldiers mutinied again on 27 May in Tenkodogo
Tenkodogo
Tenkodogo is the capital city of Boulgou Province and Centre-Est Region in Burkina Faso with a population of 40,839 . -History:Tenkodogo was the center of a city state of the Mossi Empire that dates back to 1120. The name Tenkodogo is derived from the Moore words tenga, meaning land and kodogo,...
and 1 June in Bobo-Dioulasso, among other cities and barracks particularly in eastern and northern Burkina Faso, firing into the air for hours on end in both daytime and nighttime hours. Shooting reportedly quieted in the north by 27 May after continuing throughout the weekend, but it had again spread to other parts of the country by that time.
On 3 June 2011, at least seven people were killed as pro-government forces quelled the protests and mutiny in Bobo-Dioulasso, including a 14-year-old girl. An army spokesman said 109 were detained in the government's strongest effort yet to end the mutiny. Traders upset by mutineers' extensive looting in Bobo-Dioulasso called for the government to offer swift recompense for their losses.
The government said it replaced all 13 regional governors as of 9 June, appointing three army officers among others to replace them in a bid to ease tensions.
Aftermath
With the protests quieted, Reforms Minister Bongnessan Arsene Ye said on 23 June that the government established a 68-member committee to consider changes to the constitution. However, opposition leader Benewende Stanislas SankaraBénéwendé Stanislas Sankara
Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara is a Burkinabé politician and the President of the Union for Rebirth/Sankarist Movement party....
, a key figure in the protest movement, said the opposition had declined to be represented in the committee over concerns that the changes to the constitution would allow President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
to further extend his term of office rather than creating a more democratic process in Burkina Faso.