Unrest in Burkina Faso (2011)

On February 15, soldiers dissatisfied with non-payment of housing allowances raised a rebellion in the capital, Ouagadougou ^[1] ; The country's president, Blaise Compaore , left the city on the same day and, for security reasons, moved to his home town of Ziniar ^[2] . By Sunday, April 17, a rebellion swept the city of Pau in the southern part of the country ^[3] , where protests were held against the verdict handed down by a local court to a group of officers.

The revolt continued with popular demonstrations against price increases in several cities of the country ^[2] . The protests caused by the death of a student who was under arrest at the police station began on February 22. According to media reports, five student protesters were killed in February ^[4] . France24 TV channel suggested that the unrest in Burkina Faso will develop into a full-scale revolution modeled on the North African countries at the same time , dubbing the events that took place "Burkinian spring" ^[5] . On April 22, a coalition of 34 Burkinian opposition parties called on President Compaore to resign. ^[6] By April 27, demonstrations of farmers against low purchase prices began in Bobo-Dioulasso , and in Koudoug , meetings of businessmen caused by the closure of 40 stores by the authorities due to non-payment of rent. The mayor’s house and the police station were burned in Kudugu ^[7] . In the evening of the same day, the Ouagadougou police went over to the side of the protesters ^[8] . On April 28, four young demonstrators were injured when police opened fire with live ammunition to disperse the crowd, which began to set fire to a police station in Ouagadougou ^[9] . On April 28, President Blaise Compaore announced an agreement with the army, which agreed to put an end to the protests that were ravaging the country ^[10] . On April 30, around 3,000 took part in an opposition rally in Ouagadougou, which lasted several hours despite the heat. Several local pop stars took part in the protests, calling for the resignation of Compaore during the speeches. Some protesters showed posters comparing Compaore with the President of Tunisia Zine El Abidine Ben Ali , who was overthrown during the January popular uprising ^[11] . Benevede Stanislas Sankara, an opposition leader, addressed the crowd, stating that the people of Burkina Faso are demanding reforms with a view to a more equitable redistribution of income from the exploitation of the country's mineral resources ^[12] . Health Minister Adam Traore announced that six people died as a result of the uprisings, including an 11-year-old teenager who was shot dead on his way to school ^[12] .

On May 1, the traditional demonstration of trade unions of trade and civil servants in Ouagadougou was canceled due to possible provocations by government agents ^[13] . On May 15, soldiers fired all night from rifles into the air, thereby protesting that reforms and payments did not reach the rank and file of the army ^[14] . On May 24, three people were killed and 136 injured during a protest by students and soldiers in Ouagadougou ^[15] . Students set fire to the offices of the ruling party in Gaua and Bobo-Dioulasso, supporting the teachers' strike ^[16] . On May 25, the union of teachers and the government came to an agreement, under which violence and demonstrations ceased in exchange for an increase in the salaries of teachers ^[17] .

On May 27, in Tenkodogo, and on June 1, in Bobo-Dioulasso, protests of soldiers broke out again, supported by soldiers in many parts of the east and north of the country. The soldiers fired into the air throughout the day ^[18] . Shooting stopped only by the beginning of the next week, but after a while, the actions repeated again ^[19] . On June 3, at least seven people (including a 14-year-old girl ^[20] ) were killed during a dispersal by government forces of a demonstration in Bobo-Dioulasso ^[21] . An army spokesman reported the arrest of 109 instigators. The bobo-dioulasso merchants who suffered from pogroms and looting during the speeches appealed to the government for compensation ^[22] . On June 13, the government, in an attempt to reduce tensions, replaced 13 provincial governors and fired 3 army officers ^[23] .

On June 23, when the protests subsided ^[24] , Reform Minister Bongnessan Arsene Ye announced that the government was creating a committee of 68 members to discuss a draft amendment to the country's constitution. Opposition leader Benevede Sankara, who was a key figure in the protest movement, said that the opposition rejected the proposal to include its representatives on the committee, because creating the appearance of a constitutional change will allow incumbent President Blaise Compaore to continue to remain in office and divert attention from creating real democratic mechanisms in the country ^[25] .