This is Mahamadou Issoufou’s first visit to Burkina Faso in his capacity as mediator of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
With our correspondent in Ouagadougou, Yaya Boudani
Greeted when he got off the plane by the patron saint of Burkinabe diplomacy, Olivia Rouamba, Mahamadou Issoufou wasted no time. As soon as he arrived, the mediator for Burkina Faso began his consultations at a run.
He had a first face-to-face meeting with Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo, the president of the transition. Working sessions are planned with several ministers including those of Defence, Security and Humanitarian Action. The former Nigerien president will also have talks with technical and financial partners and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Burkina Faso.
For this visit, Mahamadou Issoufou is accompanied by a delegation from ECOWAS led by Jean Claude Kassi, the President of the Commission.
Duration of transition
This is therefore Mr. Issoufou’s first visit to Burkina as an ECOWAS mediator. Appointed on June 4 at the end of the 6th extraordinary summit of heads of state and leaders of the transition, its mission is to obtain an agreement between the two parties on the duration of the transition, which should lead to free and transparent elections for a return to constitutional order.
The Heads of State of the sub-regional organization and the government of the Burkinabè transition are moreover at loggerheads on the subject. The charter adopted at the end of the national meetings by the authorities set the duration of the transition at 3 years. A delay justified by the security situation in the country, according to the authorities.
This decision is judged as not “ within reason by ECOWAS. A delegation of experts from the organization therefore went there to assess the security and humanitarian situation, at the request of the Burkinabè authorities.