8,000 kilometers separate Moscow from Ouagadougou, but the distance has not prevented “political flirting” between supporters of the coup in Burkina Faso and the Russian authorities.
The appearance of the Russian flag was not a separate event or a scene associated with a specific place, as the demonstrators raised it in the streets, in shops and in front of military barracks, which reflected the political orientation of the African country.
This comes just days after the second coup in Burkina Faso in 9 months, when a group of young officers seized power under the pretext of a deteriorating security situation.
At a demonstration in the capital Burkinaba, a protester raised a Russian flag during a demonstration against France and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) last Tuesday.
Even the protester was not alone, joining a crowd of several dozen demonstrators waving Russian flags in Ouagadougou to pro-Russian chants.
A Russian flag flew high in front of a military barracks in the capital, Burkinaba, as a young supporter of the new coup leader, Ibrahim Traore, boarded an army armored personnel carrier and waved the Russian flag.
After the flag was raised, pro-Russian chants were heard on the site.
From the barracks to the shop in the center of Ouagadougou, the proprietor of the establishment, a supporter of the new coup, has raised Russian flags around his merchandise, AFP reports.
Apart from these various scenes, the Russian flag is clearly visible in demonstrations in support of the new coup in Burkina Faso along with the country’s flag.
The scene seems to be closer to spinning the message of a new coup against Russia and trying to play on the current global balance sheets in light of tensions between the West and Moscow to win over a new ally.
These popular messages intersect with statements by the leader of the coup, who later became president, Ibrahim Traore, in which he said: “I know that France cannot directly interfere in our affairs … the Americans are now our partners, and Russia can also be a partner” .
In the recent period, Russian influence in Burkina Faso has made a big leap from the media level to politics, and thus Moscow has gained a new foothold in Africa.
