Thousands of Burkinabés rally in support of ECOWAS exit: Video
Thousands of Burkinabé citizens gathered to demonstrate in support of their nation's decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The rally, marked by passionate speeches, jubilation, and a show of solidarity, highlighted the populace's firm stance on the nation's sovereignty.
Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, addressing the crowd, described the withdrawal as a step toward Burkina Faso's liberation from external control. “ECOWAS is one of the strings of our enslavement that was cut cleanly on 28 January 2024,” Ouédraogo declared. “We know that there are other strings left, but our three heads of state still hold the axe firmly. In other words, all the strings will be cut without a second thought.”
Calling for continued vigilance, the Prime Minister emphasised the struggle for freedom. “This is a message of remobilisation,” he urged. “We must remain vigilant because the imperialists and their puppet institutions will never give up. Freedom is not granted; it is fought for. It comes at the price of sweat and blood.”
Demonstrators echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, expressing unwavering support for the decision. Asseta Salogo, one of the protesters, celebrated the move as long overdue. “It’s a very good decision, a good decision that they’ve made,” Salogo told the AFP. “We’ve been waiting for this decision for a long time. Right now, we’re saying: ECOWAS to bat, forever. We can't go back. Either it’s our bodies they’re going to trample on so that we can come back, or it’s corpses they’re going to use to create their damned ECOWAS.”
Another protester, Faraga Bazié, reinforced the irreversible nature of the decision, remarking that, “under no circumstances are we going to look in the rear-view mirror again,” he said. “This doesn't represent the people of the Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali, or Niger. We take responsibility for ourselves, and history has brought us together. There were just some people who refused to allow this union to see the light of day through a puppet institution, as the Prime Minister has just said.”
