Off the wire
• News Analysis: Japan's pacifist ideals stripped as Abe steps closer to resurrecting old war machine  • Urgent: Gold sharply rallies after U.S. Fed leaves interest rate unchanged  • S. Sudan rebel leader accuses gov't army of ceasefire violation  • 1st LD Writethru: Gold sharply rallies after U.S. Fed leaves interest rate unchanged  • China-funded 20mln USD facilities for Ghanaian university inaugurated  • EU will not close its borders to refugees: official  • Growth reforms will expand French growth 0.3 pct in 5 years: OECD  • China commended for aiding Ghana in its natural gas monetization  • 2nd LD Writethru: Japan overturns postwar pacifism with new security laws enacted  • Israel prevents Palestinian PM from entering Jerusalem  
You are here: 　 Home

AU rejects military announcement of "dismissal" of Burkina Faso interim president

Xinhua, September 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The African Union (AU) has said it rejects as "null and void" the announcement by the military of the "dismissal" of the President of the transition in Burkina Faso.

The pan-African bloc has stressed that "the abduction and detention of the leaders of the transition constitute a terrorist act," according to a statement from AU on Friday.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission, continues to follow with deep concern the situation in Burkina Faso following the abduction in Ouagadougou of the President of Faso, Michel Kafando, Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida and some members of his Government, by elements of the Régiment de sécurité présidentielle (RSP), as well as Thursday's announcement of the appointment of "new authorities ".

The chairperson reiterated AU's strong condemnation of "the unjustifiable abduction and the continued detention of the leaders of the Transition, which constitute an act of terrorism in all respects, as well as the unacceptable attempt to undermine completely the Transition ushered in Burkina Faso in November 2014."

Dlamini-Zuma stressed that the acts are all the more reprehensible as they come less than a month before the presidential and legislative elections, which would have marked the conclusion of the Transition.

She welcomed the unanimous condemnation by the international community of these acts, which constitute a serious threat to peace, stability and security in Burkina Faso, the region and the rest of the continent.

She called on all AU member states and the international community as a whole to ensure that the attempt to undermine the transition is defeated.

"The AU considers the announcement by the military of the "dismissal" of President Michel Kafando and the attempt of substituting him with "new authorities" as null and void."

The chairperson called for the immediate and unconditional release of the leaders of the transition and for the reinstatement in their functions.

She stressed that the elements of the RSP involved in this situation shall be held accountable for their actions and for any attack on the physical integrity of the detained personalities.

The chairperson reiterated the imperative for the defense and security forces to operate under the control of the political authorities.

She stressed that the repeated destabilization attempts by elements of the RSP since the beginning of the Transition highlight the need for security sector reform in Burkina Faso, as part of the efforts to deepen democracy and strengthen the rule of law in this country. Endit