The President-General of the West Africa Nobles Forum (WANF), Nana Dr Appiagyei Dankawoso I, has urged the Burkina Faso coup leaders to opt for dialogue and return the country to civilian rule.
According to the Kyeame to the Omanhene of the Asante Juabeng traditional area, dialogue was a better option to resolve grievances than the use of arms due to the irreversible damage often caused by the latter.
“Irrespective of the reasons behind the overthrow, the forum is of the view that taking over a government by the use of arms is not the way to go because of the effects of such actions on socio-economic development.
“We, therefore, call on the coup leaders to lay down their arms, exercise restraint, and resort to dialogue with all actors involved to get their concerns addressed”, he said in a statement signed by himself in Accra on Wednesday.
A group of soldiers calling itself the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, on January 24 assumed control over the West African country, suspended the constitution, and detained President Roch Kaboré, the President.
The country was suspended by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) after the military government failed to heed calls to return the country to civilian rule.
The military government earlier this week announced a restoration of the constitution and appointed the coup’s leader as head of state for a transitional period.
According to Nana Dankawoso I, WANF was disturbed that the overthrow which marked the fourth military coup in the past year in West and Central Africa specifically in Mali, Chad, and Guinea, had once again put security in the sub-region under global scrutiny.
The statement said the forum was concerned about the disruption of constitutional democracy and deteriorating security situation in the country following the coup as well as the safety of the constitutionally elected President, Roch Kaboré.
“To our Burkinabes, we call for calm as stakeholders take steps to restore peace in the country. Further violence and destruction of national property would only derail the development of the nation.
‘It is our expectation that the ECOWAS, the AU, and other bodies take immediate steps to resolve the issue,” it said.
With the upheavals in the sub-regions which have been linked to the dissatisfaction of the citizenry, the statement urged governments and political leaders in West Africa to ensure good governance to eschew corruption and avoid taking advantage of the power given to the people.
“The people of Burkina Faso deserve the best of demographic governance and must decide for themselves who leads them in the laid down constitutional and democratic process,” it said.
WANF is a non-governmental group of more than 3,000 eminent personalities from various fields of work across the sub-region, set up in 2003, to promote integrity and accountability as well as drive socio-economic integration.
BY TIMES REPORTER
