AU-ECOWAS Intervention in Burkina Faso Political Conflict in 2014

This paper examined the African led intervention in the Burkina Faso conflict. The outbreak of political conflict in the relatively stable and peaceful Western African country in October 2014 over the attempt of President Blaise Compaore to alter the constitutional provision on term limit drew global and regional attentions. The inaction that followed the conflict from the international community however changed following the flight of President Blaise Compaore to Cote D'Ivoire on 31 October 2014 and the assumption of political power by the military in November 2014 which awakened the international community to the dimension of the conflict. Data were from journals, newspapers, and books, analysed qualitatively using a historical approach revealed that the degenerating of the conflict forced the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a sub-regional organisation which Burkina Faso is a member to initiate a mediatory role to restore peace and order in the country. The AU-ECOWAS intervention was backed by the United Nations and other global institutions in bringing peace to the country. The mandate of the AU-ECOWAS mediating team was to restore democratic and civilian or constitutional rule in the country. The mediating team under AU-ECOWAS proposed a one-year transition programme that made Col. Yacoub Ziga to step down as the Head of State while Mr. Michel Kafando assumed leadership of the country. The paper concluded by positing that the regional body handling of the Burkina Faso political situation largely helped to broker peace in the country and put the country on the path of stability and development.