The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG , UNITED NATIONS
UNOG Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: Burkina Faso- Military Takeover - OHCHR
Soldiers in Burkina Faso ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré yesterday, Monday 24 January, dissolving the government and suspending the country’s constitution. UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet “deplores the military takeover and calls for immediate release of President Kaboré, elected in peaceful election in 2020,” her spokesperson said a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
“We call on the military to immediately release the President and other high-level officials who have been detained,” said Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The ousting of President Kaboré was made on state television by an army officer, who blamed the deteriorating security situation for the military takeover. “We urge a swift return to constitutional order,” Ms. Shamdasani added.
This latest coup in West Africa comes amid a “multifaceted crisis”, according to OHCHR – a crisis that ranges from “climate change that affects the ability of herders and pastoralists to carry out their daily work and conflicts erupt as a result of it, to violent extremist groups attacks on local population, as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation”.
OHCHR estimates that three million people are food insecure in the country. Those factors “generate a lot of frustration” among the population, Ms. Shamdasani said, adding that the High Commissioner believes that “the way to manage this frustration and to find a way out of this conflict is through dialogue, through the meaningful participation of people from all sectors of the society. The military coup is certainly not the solution”.
The High Commissioner view echoed the statement by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres yesterday, in which he condemned “any attempt to take over a government by the force of arms.”
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flags flying.
- Wide shot of press room UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson of UN human rights office, OHCHR: “The High Commissioner deeply deplores the military takeover of power in Burkina Faso yesterday. During her visit to Burkina Faso last November, she had stressed the importance of preserving the hard won democratic and human rights gains made in the country, noting in particular the peaceful legislative and presidential elections that had been held in 2020. We call on the military to immediately release the President and other high-level officials who have been detained. We urge a swift return to constitutional order.”
- Cutaway, Medium shot of podium behind the camera
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson of UN human rights office, OHCHR: We do not have personal contact at the moment with the coup leaders, but as I said, what we saw in the country was, of course, a multifaceted crisis.”
- Cutaway, Medium shot of cameraman
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson of UN human rights office, OHCHR: “We stress that military takeover is not the solution, really there needs to be a meaningful dialog, with the participation of people from across the spectrum to be able to air their grievances peacefully and to be able to resolve the situation together. And we are urging that the President is immediately released”.
- Cutaway, Close shot of hand and pen taking notes on notepad.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson of UN human rights office, OHCHR: “There was, in fact, a dialog that had been initiated and there was a process of social reconciliation. And we met with the minister who was in charge of that, and he was bringing together different actors, so it's not too late. We are still calling for a restoration of civilian rule. We're calling for the release of the President and other high-level officials who have been detained.”
- Medium shot, masked participants listening
- Cutaway, Close shot of hands typing on keyboard
- Medium lateral shot of podium with Ravina Shamdasani
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
Institutionalised forced labour by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea constitutes grave violations of human rights – UN report
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Time is running out for starving civilians in Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday, while talks involving the country’s warring parties continue in Geneva this week.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC faces a severe humanitarian crisis with 25M in need and rising conflict-related issues.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
A gimmer of good news emerged from Gaza on Tuesday as patients returned to at a newly reopened UN health centre in Khan Younis, six months after it was severely damaged and forced to close by heavy fighting, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN condemns attacks on Kyiv hospitals, calls for immediate action to protect civilians.
1
1
2
Edited News | WHO
In Gaza, soaring temperatures, hunger and unsanitary conditions present an ever more deadly threat to a population under constant attack, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WMO , IFRC
Hurricane Beryl smashes into Caribbean, turns sights on Mexico As Hurricane Beryl’s destructive path shifted to Mexico on Friday after roiling the Caribbean, UN agencies and partners said that the emergency response was underway, before warning that a very long and damaging hurricane season looks increasingly likely.
1
1
2
Edited News | IOM , mcc , UNHCR
Refugees and migrants continue to face extreme forms of violence, exploitation and death on sea and on land across Africa as they attempt to leave the continent, UN agencies said on Friday, in an appeal to border authorities to do more to protect them.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk at the 56th Human Rigths Council, made the following update on the situation of human rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
New evacuation orders issued by the Israeli army for areas in southern Gaza are expected to impact 250,000 people, including eastern Khan Younis and Rafah, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: People are desperate, they need everything, says UN aid agency Panic and desperation now grip ordinary Gazans struggling to survive, UN humanitarians said on Friday, amid fuel shortages of fuel and dwindling supplies that have prevented aid teams from doing their job.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
UN aid teams and partner organizations remain deeply committed to delivering lifesaving supplies into Gaza, despite the increasing dangers of working there, the Organization’s top aid official said on Wednesday.