Burkina Faso’s military junta on Wednesday lifted a nationwide curfew that was imposed after last month’s coup, reported France 24.
“The President of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration, President of Faso, Head of State, updates… the total lifting of the curfew measure as of this day, February 2,” Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo said in a press release.
The military had imposed restrictions on January 24 after mutinous soldiers arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who was serving a second term in the West African country, following a revolt at several army barracks in the capital over the handling of jihadist attacks in the Sahel nation.
In a televised statement, the junta said Burkina Faso’s nightlife will not completely resume as popular celebrations and festive events continue to remain prohibited after midnight from Monday to Thursday and after 2 am from Friday to Sunday.
The coup leaders said the decision was taken “in view of the security context and in solidarity with the victims of insecurity”.
The national curfew was initially imposed from 9 pm to 5 pm, but the timing was later reduced to midnight to 4 am before being lifted completely.
Sandaogo also reshuffled Burkina Faso’s military leadership. He appointed former sports minister Colonel-Major David Kabre as the chief of the general staff of the armed forces, and Colonel Adam Nere as the chief of staff of the army.
On Monday, the military government, which calls itself the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), announced that it had approved a fundamental act that lifts the suspension of the constitution.
Burkina Faso has been witnessing a spiral of violence since 2015, attributed to jihadist groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State militant group. The violence has killed more than 2,000 people and forced at least 1.5 million to flee their homes.
