African leaders press Burkina Faso on civilian rule

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso: Three West African presidents visited Burkina Faso on Wednesday to join the international effort to press military leaders to quickly return to the country to civilian rule.
Opposition protests forced President Blaise Compaore to resign last week, saying 27 years in power was enough for the semi-authoritarian leader. Burkina Faso’s military then stepped in, designating Lt. Col. Isaac Yacouba Zida as the transitional leader.
But the international community wants the military to swiftly return the country to constitutional rule. On Monday, the African Union, representing 53 countries on the continent, gave Burkina Faso two weeks to do so or face sanctions.
The international community is ramping up pressure to try to reach a quick solution and avoid chaos or prolonged martial rule in Burkina Faso. Representatives from the African Union and the United Nations have been in talks with the opposition, the military and other stakeholders in recent days.
On Wednesday, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan, Senegal’s President Macky Sall and Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama arrived to continue the discussions.
Under Compaore, Burkina Faso was a center of relative stability in a volatile region and an important ally of the West in the fight against militants in the area.