MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the political crisis in Burkina Faso
15.2.2022 - (2022/2542(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 144 of the Rules of Procedure
Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Olivier Chastel, Andreas Glück, Klemen Grošelj, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Dragoş Pîslaru, Frédérique Ries, María Soraya Rodríguez Ramos, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Ramona Strugariu, Dragoş Tudorache, Hilde Vautmans
on behalf of the Renew Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0104/2022
B9‑0113/2022
European Parliament resolution on the political crisis in Burkina Faso
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Burkina Faso,
- having regard to the Statements by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) on behalf of the EU, of 24 and 26 January 2022,
- having regard to the Statement by UN Secretary General of 24 January 2022,
- having regard to the Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of 25 January 2022,
- having regard to the Constitution of Burkina Faso,
- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
- having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
- having regard to the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,
- having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,
- having regard to the resolution of 11 March 2021 of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and the EU on democracy and the respect for constitutions in EU and ACP countries,
A. whereas on 24 January 2022, uniformed soldiers announced on national television that they had taken power in Burkina Faso, pledging a return to constitutional order within a reasonable time; whereas coup leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, president of the newly established Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), announced in a statement the closure of the borders, the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly, and the suspension of the Constitution; whereas current head of state Lt-Colonel Damiba announced that the main priority would remain security, that the country would continue to respect its international commitments, particularly with regard to respect for human rights, and that the independence of the judiciary would be guaranteed; whereas air and -partially- land borders have been reopened;
B. whereas President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, the head of parliament Alassane Bala Sakandé and some ministers were arrested on 24 January 2022; whereas the People's Movement for Progress (MPP), the party of the President Kaboré, assured on 26 January that Kaboré was in a presidential villa under house arrest and had a doctor at his disposal; whereas on 8 February 2022 in national TV, members of the last government Kaboré were asked to vacate the ministerial residences within 72 hours;
C. whereas in the past six years, more than 2000 people have lost their lives in jihadist and insurgent attacks; whereas, in two years, over 1000 schools have been closed and 1,5 million people have fled their homes to escape the violence; whereas in June 2021, 174 people died in the villages of Solhan and Tadaryat in the deadliest attack since 2015; whereas on 4 November 2021, a jihadist attack on the gendarmerie garrison in Inata in northern Burkina Faso killed 53 of the 120 soldiers; whereas Human Rights Watch reported summary executions of hundreds of suspects by security forces and pro-government militias, and that virtually none of these attacks have been investigated and prosecuted;
D. whereas protests have taken place over the past few months in several towns in Burkina Faso to denounce Kaboré’s government inability to counter the growing number of jihadist attacks; whereas these protests have often been banned and dispersed by riot police; whereas during the protests in November, the internet was shut down for eight days;
E. whereas on 11 January 2022, military prosecutor’s office issued a statement that troops were arrested for plotting to destabilize the country and were under investigation; whereas mobile internet services were disrupted during these arrests; whereas soldiers mutinied on 23 January 2022 in several military barracks in Burkina Faso to demand the departure of army chiefs and adequate means to fight jihadists; whereas on the same evening, Burkina Faso’s President Kaboré decreed a curfew until further notice and announced the closure of schools on the two following days;
F. whereas rallies in support of the putschists took place after the military coup on 24 January 2022, marking their support for Lt-Colonel Damiba; whereas the seizure of power by the military were greeted with great circumspection and relative indulgence by the civil society in Burkina Faso;
G. whereas the African Union, ECOWAS and the Permanent Council of La Francophonie suspended Burkina Faso following the military coup;
H. whereas a technical commission, announced by presidential decree on 8 February 2022 and composed of 15 independent and voluntary members, was set up for to draw up a draft charter setting out the principles, bodies, objectives, strategic guidelines and procedures for conducting the transition, as well as a timetable and duration of the transition; whereas this technical commission has a deadline of two weeks;
I. whereas the EU and its Member States strongly condemned the military coup; whereas there have been reports of weapons exported by Member States of the EU falling into the hands of terrorist organizations in the Sahel region and used to commit human rights violations by armed forces;
J. whereas a group of Russian military contractors has written to Burkina Faso's coup leaders offering to train the country's army in its fight against jihadists;
K. whereas ECOWAS decided not to impose new sanctions on Burkina Faso after a mission on 29 January 2022 during which they were able to meet President Kaboré and discuss with the military junta; whereas the African Union condemned the wave of military coups during its annual Summit on 6 February 2022;
1. Strongly condemns the military coup of 24 January 2022; calls for the unconditional release of former President Kaboré and any other political prisoner since the military coup;
2. Deplores that at least 250 civilians and dozens of security forces were killed in 2021 by armed Islamist groups in attacks in several provinces and that thousands of people are internally displaced due to the violence; expresses its solidarity with the victims and the families of those affected; recalls that it is the primary responsibility of the authorities of Burkina Faso to ensure security in its territory and protect its population with respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law; urges the military and police forces to ensure the safety of all citizens;
3. Firmly insists that the authorities of Burkina Faso uphold and respect human rights and allow their people to exercise their civil and political rights; calls on all the stakeholders of Burkina Faso to respect the rule of law and for their full commitment to the return and preservation of the constitutional order;
4. Condemns the repeated internet shutdowns and the repression of media houses reporting on attacks, by the former government; calls on the authorities of Burkina Faso to assure that the right to information is respected and that all communication services are fully and permanently restored;
5. Demands for independent, impartial and internationally monitored investigations to ensure accountability for all unlawful killings and bring those responsible to justice in fair trials; calls on the authorities of Burkina Faso to protect the rights of suspects arrested in counter-terrorism operations and to ensure that perpetrators of human rights abuses are held accountable; calls on the European Commission to provide support and adequate resources to the judiciary of Burkina Faso to investigate and prosecute all individuals responsible for serious abuses;
6. Welcomes the announcement of the establishment of the technical commission; notes the public declarations of Lt-Colonel Damiba who pledged a return to normal constitutional life as soon as possible and that the country would continue to respect international commitments
7. calls on the international community and the EU to continue working closely with the Burkinabe authorities to ensure a timely and democratic transition to a civilian led government; welcomes the will of the Burkinabe authorities to make use of the assistance offered by ECOWAS, the United Nations and the European Union in establishing a stable transition; calls on the authorities of Burkina Faso and on the technical Commission to identify clear timelines and processes in order to conduct inclusive, fair and transparent elections as soon as possible;
8. Calls on EU Member States to apply a thorough checks and tracing system in their exports of weapons to third countries as stipulated in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), so as to avoid their misuse and the fuelling of human rights violations;
9. Calls for the support and facilitation of the work of humanitarian organizations in Burkina Faso, by ensuring their unfettered humanitarian access and enabling their reporting on the plight and needs of Internally Displaced People;
10. Raises concern about the wave of military coups in the last 12 months across the African continent; strongly condemns any attempt to take over a government by the force of arms; calls on all actors to exercise restraint and opt for dialogue;
11. Is deeply concerned about the increased activity of the Russian Wagner Group in West Africa; strongly advises the Burkinabe authorities against using private military companies, in particular the Wagner Group to train their army or attain stability;
12. Continues to firmly believe that the involvement of the Wagner Group in West-Africa runs counter to the objective of bringing peace, security and stability to Burkina Faso and protection of its people; calls for the matter of the activities of the Wagner Group and other private military companies in Africa to be thoroughly discussed during the upcoming EU-Africa Summit;
13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the authorities of Burkina Faso, the Commission, the Vice-President of the European Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers and Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the African Union, the ECOWAS Community, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the Pan-African Parliament;