Burkina Faso agrees to transitional government after president’s ouster

Following violent protests that unseated one of Africa’s longest ruling presidents, Burkina Faso’s military, civilian and civil society factions signed a deal on 6 November agreeing to a transitional government framework. Elections can be held in one year’s time.
The agreement, brokered by the presidents of neighboring west African countries Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, is designed to return Burkina Faso to civilian rule.
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After the ouster of President Blaise Compraore on 31 October after tens of thousands of Burkinabe protesters took the streets, the military appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Ziad to run the country. The transition talks in Ouagadougou, the capital, ended without naming a leader of the civilian unity government. However, all parties have agreed that an "eminent civilian personality" will take the post.
Despite having a transition deal on paper, opposition leaders have voiced concerns that the military will resist relinquishing power. Mr Ziad has affirmed his intentions to do so in several statements, and is under strong pressure from regional and international actors to follow through.
“There is always a temptation, but I am not sure it will be easy [for the military to remain in government] even if the opposition have signalled they do not completely rule this out,” Alex Vines, director of Chatham House’s Africa programme, tells This Is Africa.
That said, there is little clarity going into the transition. “The opposition is currently divided and I think it is too difficult to predict the next president at this stage,” Mr Vines says.
Mr Comproare, who has fled to neighboring Côte d'Ivoire, spent 27 years at the helm of the small west African country. The protests that finally pushed him out were sparked when he attempted to extend his rule yet again by amending the constitution to extend the term limits for the presidency. Two five-year term limits were initially introduced in 2000. Mr Compraore won elections in 2005 and 2010. Save for the amendment, he would have been ineligible to run again in 2015.
Under the constitution, the leader of the National Assembly should assuming the role of interim president in advent of the president’s resignation. According to France 24, Mr Compraore, his wife and their entourage were escorted in a 27 car convoy to a government secured villa in Côte d'Ivoire.
His hasty departure was facilitated by France, Burkina Faso’s former colonial ruler. French prime minister Francois Hollande has added his voice to the many regional ones calling for a transition to civilian rule.
Developments in Burkina Faso are being closely watched by other leaders in the region - such as Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Benin - who are preparing challenges to constitutional term limits in their own countries.