Ekeomah Atuonwu
The US State Department has stated that almost $160 million (£118 million) in foreign aid to Burkina Faso will be frozen.
The announcement comes after a thorough examination of the circumstances leading up to President Roch Kaboré’s removal in late January, which the US has officially determined was a military coup.
/REUTERS/
It comes just weeks after Burkina Faso’s membership in the African Union (AU) and the West African regional body ECOWAS was suspended.
Any monies released to Burkina Faso will now be conditioned on verified progress toward civilian governance, according to US law.
Former President Kaboré’s inability to quell an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and forced at least 1.5 million people to flee, had been connected by the armed forces to the seizure of power.
A State Department official claimed the decision was taken after “careful assessment,” which had not been previously publicized.
The decision was taken in accordance with a US law that prohibits the United States from providing foreign aid to a country whose elected leader is removed by military coup or in a coup in which the military plays a key role.
In an email, a State Department official said, “The State Department assesses that a military coup occurred in Burkina Faso.” “As a result, about $158.6 million in foreign support to Burkina Faso’s government is prohibited,” it stated.
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