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| - Fact Check: This is not the man who led the coup in Africa's Burkina Faso
A picture of "Young General" is making the rounds on social media, with the claim that he is the one who led the Burkina Faso coup. India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading.
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India Today Fact Check
On January 24, Burkina Faso’s military regime announced on state television that it had seized power. However, the image in question is of the captain who read out the statement on behalf of Lt-Col Paul-Henri Damiba, the coup leader.
West African country Burkina Faso is in the news following a military coup that ousted the government. On January 24, the military under Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) made an official announcement on national television that the Constitution has been suspended and borders sealed.
The development has been tweeted by many with special focus on a “Young General” who made the declaration before the camera. Netizens claim he is the one who led the coup.
“Burkina Faso coup leader,” one such post said along with the photo of the man in military uniform and blue beret.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading. The mutiny that ousted President Roch Kabore was led by 41-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. The young officer portrayed as the leader is a captain who read the statement on Damiba’s behalf.
AFWA probe
The name of the officer reading out the statement was visible on his uniform. A closer look helped us identify him as “Sidsore A Kader O”.
A Google search for the name led us to media reports about the coup. They identified Captain Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo as the man who read out the official statement for the military following the takeover. However, he was not named the leader of the movement by any source.
Credible media reports said the coup was led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. Though many verified Twitter accounts also confused Sidsore with Damiba, the reports clearly said how a subordinate was chosen by the coup leader to read out the MPSR’s official statement.
Some other media reports clarified that Damiba was seated next to Sidsore while the statement was being read out.
Who is Lt-Col Damiba?
According to BBC, French-educated Damiba is associated with Burkina Faso’s counterinsurgency campaign against Islamist militants. He was promoted in December 2021 as the commander of Burkina Faso’s third military region by now-ousted President Kabore.
Following the military takeover, several media outlets released detailed profiles of Damiba. As per these reports, he has served decades in the security detail of former President Blaise Compaore, who was overthrown in 2014.
On January 29, Damiba made his first national speech since taking power asserting that he is the man in command. The name on the uniform reads “PH Damiba”.
Hence, it is clear that the military coup in Africa’s Burkina Faso was led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba. A picture of one of his subordinates is falsely circulating on social media as the new head of the country.
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