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…Says An Aberration, Rewinds Clock Of Progress In Region
The West African Elders Forum (WAEF) have strongly condemned the military coup in Bukina Faso, calling it a democratic sacrilege that betrays hope and rewinds the clock of democratic progress in Burkina Faso and the entire West African sub-region.
A statement by the former Nigerian President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who also doubles as the convener of the West Africa Elders Forum as well as Chairman, Goodluck Jonathan Foundation(GJF) states that the Forum was disturbed by the gradual ceding of the region’s civic space to military adventurers and un-elected leaders.
The regional elders body described the military coup as unacceptable and an aberration, declaring that Africa cannot afford to be returned to an ‘inglorious era when the people’s rights, freedoms and development impetus were restricted’,calling for the immediate release of deposed President Roch Kabore and all others being detained,just as the forum urged the military leaders to return the country to constitutional rule.
A statement from the Communications officer of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation,Mr Wealth Ominabo which was credited to the West Africa Elders forum reads in parts:
“The West African Elders Forum (WAEF) condemns the military takeover of government and suspension of constitutional order in Burkina Faso by a group of military officers.
“The coup is a political sacrilege that betrays hope, as it rewinds the clock of democratic progress and successes recorded in Burkina Faso and the sub-region, in the past decades.”
“As a Forum, we are disturbed by the gradual ceding of our civil and democratic spaces to military adventurers and unelected leaders. This unfortunate trend is embarrassing to our sub-region and the entire continent. The military are trained to protect the state and its sovereignty and not to deploy their guns to overthrow elected civil authorities.
“We state without equivocation that the military should not be seen as the alternative to civil rule. Africa had experienced a long spell of military rule in the past and the people of the continent cannot afford to be returned to an inglorious era when the people’s rights, freedoms and development impetus were restricted.
“We condemn this political aberration in our sub-region and stress that it is unacceptable. We encourage all stakeholders to work in unity in order to safeguard our democracy as well as deliver to our people peace, justice and good governance to our people.
“We call for the immediate release of deposed President Roch Kabore and all others being detained and urge the military leaders to return the country to constitutional rule”, the Forum added.
