Togo Detains and Deports Ex-Burkina Faso Leader Paul-Henri Damiba After Alleged Coup Plot

Jan 20•2 min read

FILE PHOTO: Burkina Faso President Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba is welcomed by soldiers in Dori, Sahel region as he arrives to motivate his troops, after armed men killed civilians and militaries in Seytenga, at an airport in Dori, Burkina Faso June 15, 2022. Burkina Faso's Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

LOME, Jan 20 (Reuters) — Togo arrested and deported former Burkina Faso president Paul-Henri Damiba to Ouagadougou after Ouagadougou accused him of plotting a coup. Damiba, who seized power in 2022, was overthrown later that year by Ibrahim Traore amid rising militant violence. Togolese sources said Damiba was detained on Saturday and flown home; neither government had commented.

LOME, Jan 20 (Reuters) — Togo has detained and deported former Burkina Faso president Paul-Henri Damiba to Ouagadougou after officials in Burkina Faso accused him of plotting a coup, two sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Two sources — a security official and a person close to Togo's presidency — said Damiba was arrested on Saturday in Lomé and flown to the Burkina Faso capital. Reuters was unable to reach Damiba for comment, and it was unclear whether he had legal representation in Togo.

Background

Damiba seized power in a 2022 coup that toppled a civilian administration weakened by a surge in attacks from Islamist militant groups. Later that same year he was himself removed in a coup led by Ibrahim Traore, who remains head of the military-led government in Ouagadougou.

Allegations And Official Response

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso said it had disrupted a plot to assassinate Traore that it alleged was organised by Damiba, who had been in Lomé seeking refuge. The source close to Togo's presidency told Reuters the Togolese authorities had previously warned Damiba about involvement in destabilising activities in his home country, but did not directly link him to a specific plot.

Neither the governments of Togo nor Burkina Faso responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.

Regional Context

West and Central Africa have experienced a wave of instability in recent years: the region has seen nine coups since 2020, and the transitional government led by Traore has reported several attempted coups since he took power.