The "African disease" has spread, quite suddenly, from Côte d'Ivoire to nearby Burkina Faso, which means "Land of upright men" in the local language. Like Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso is a former colony of France.
Unlike Ivory Coast, the upright men didn't depose their president by way of an election. Instead, Blaise Campaore, who has kept himself in power for nearly 24 years, was sent packing by his own military bodyguards. Why? Because they hadn't been paid their housing allowances.
According to Agence France Presse, M. Compaore fled the capital, Ouagadougou, on Friday morning, after the mutiny among his bodyguards spread through barracks at the presidential compound and other army bases. He is believed to be holed up in his hometown, about 30 km to the north.
Gunfire erupted at the 50-acre presidential compound late Thursday, as troops demanding money began firing their weapons. The shooting came from the barracks of the presidential guard, then spread to other barracks and camps, a military official said.
An AFP journalist reported that the gunfire in the military camps was followed in short order by the customary looting of shops. The home of General Dominique Diendière, Compaore’s chief of staff, was also said to have been ransacked and razed, in that order.
I have always wanted to go to Ouagadougou -- pronounced Wa-ga-doo-goo -- just to be able to call someone and say, "Here I am in Ouagadougou." It rolls off the tongue so nicely. If I ever get there, I intend to leave in a cloud of dust and small stones, not in a blaze of glory.
I once considered writing a book on Burkina Fasoan etiquette called "What to Do in Ouagadougou When You Want to Do What Ouagadougans Are Doing."
ReplyDeleteWalt wonders if you are an old friend of Agent 3, perhaps a newsletterer... Agent 3 never made it to Ouaga either, but knew someone who had. Why don't you write it? Travel adventure stuff, like Bill Bryson's better books, is still selling.
ReplyDelete