Burkina Faso’s revolution 2.0

After two days of protests in Burkina Faso the president, Blaise Compaoré, has reportedly abandoned plans to amend the constitution to allow himself a further three terms in office.

Followed on Twitter by journalists and protestors, and with live reports streaming on Radio Omega FM Ouaga’s online station, this “revolution 2.0” has already been called a victory by the Burkinabè opposition.
Communications minister, Alain Edouard Traore, announced the move in a hurried statement after the parliament, national TV and radio buildings were stormed, and statues were toppled in the country’s second largest city, Bobo Dioulasso.
French media is also reporting that the president’s brother has been arrested as he tried to flee the country, and statements by the army’s Général Kouamé Lougué have fuelled speculation that the army are poised to remove Compaoré from power.
At 1.40pm Reuters photojournalist Joe Penney tweeted: “People marching towards presidency led by General Kwamé Lougé. About to meet presidential guard loyal to Blaise. Final assault #burkina.”
The army chief of staff was due to give a speech at 2pm.
Compaoré, 63, has been president for 27 years since seizing power in a military coup in 1987.
Despite already being reported as a victory for the Burkinabè people against Compaoré’s “constitutional coup d’etat”, protesters say they continue to face rounds of live ammunition from the security forces even after the announcement, as governments buildings continue to burn.
On Twitter, journalists and protesters have been following events using the #lwili hashtag, named after the traditional Burkinabè Lwili Peendé cloth being worn by many in the protests.
Now dubbed Burkina’s “revolution 2.0”, a reference also to the country’s popular movement led by Thomas Sankara in 1983, the announcement suggests a promising break with the trend set by various African rulers finding elasticity in constitutional limits, including Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Namibia, Togo and Uganda.
Opposition activist Emile Pargui Pare told the AFP news agency: “October 30 is Burkina Faso’s Black Spring, like the Arab Spring.”post by expdonaloaded