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world news Dialuna 3 OctOber 2022

Intl overseer changes voting rules in Bosnia

(AP) — Shortly after polls The changes will affect the
closed in Bosnia’s general size of the parliament of one
election on Sunday, the of the country’s two highly
top international overseer independent administrative
of a 1995 peace agreement parts, shared between eth-
that ended the country’s nic Croats and Bosniaks, and
inter-ethnic war in the prevent blockades of the for-
1990s announced that he mation of its government.
was changing its electoral
law. Bosnians on Sunday elected
representatives for different
Christian Schmidt, who levels of government that
holds the post of the inter- are part of one of the world’s
national high representative most complicated institu-
in Bosnia, announced in a tional set-ups. That structure
YouTube video that he was was agreed upon in a U.S.-
amending the law “to ensure sponsored peace deal that
functionality and timely im- ended the brutal 1992-95 war
plementation of election re- between the country’s three
sults,” assuring citizens that main ethnic groups: Muslim
the changes “will in no way Bosniaks, Orthodox Serbs
affect” the votes cast on Sun- and Catholic Croats. — one run by Serbs and the quire consensus from all ability to impose laws and
day. other shared by Bosniaks and three ethnic groups. to dismiss officials and civil
The U.S.-brokered Day- Croats. The two have broad servants who undermine the
“It is crucial for destiny of ton Agreement divided the autonomy but are linked by The agreement also gave country’s fragile post-war
this country that there will be country into two highly in- shared national institutions. broad powers to the high ethnic balance.
no blockades,” he said. dependent governing entities All countrywide actions re- representative, including the

Ousted Burkina Faso leader leaves country for Togo

(AP) — Burkina Faso’s Damiba. lowing his ouster. France ve- imposed blockades on towns Russian flags.
ousted coup leader Lt. hemently denied the allega- and have intensified attacks.
Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Along with agreeing not to tion, but soon protesters with Last week, at least 11 soldiers In neighboring Mali, the
Damiba left the country harm or prosecute him, Da- torches thronged the perim- were killed and 50 civilians coup leader has invited Rus-
for Togo Sunday two days miba also asked Traore and eter of the French Embassy went missing after a supply sian mercenaries from the
after he himself was over- the new junta leadership to in Ouagadougou. convoy was attacked by gun- Wagner Group to help with
thrown in a coup, while respect the commitments al- men in Gaskinde commune security, a move than has
the new junta urged citi- ready made to the West Afri- Saturday’s violence was con- in the Sahel. The group of drawn global condemnation
zens not to loot or vandal- can regional bloc ECOWAS. demned by the French For- officers led by Traore said and accusations of human
ize. Damiba, who came to power eign Ministry, which denied Friday that Damiba had failed rights abuses.
in a coup last January, had re- any involvement in the rapid- and was being removed. Conflict analysts say Damiba
Damiba’s departure was cently reached an agreement ly developing events. French was probably too optimistic
confirmed by two diplomats to hold an election by 2024. Institutes in Ouagadougou To some in Burkina Faso’s about what he could achieve
who spoke to The Associated In a statement late Sunday, and the country’s second- military, Damiba also was in the short term but that a
Press on condition of ano- ECOWAS said it would be largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso, seen as too cozy with for- change at the top didn’t mean
nymity due to the sensitiv- sending a team of mediators had also been targeted and mer colonizer France, which that the country’s security
ity of the matter. It was not to Ouagadougou on Monday French citizens were urged maintains a military presence situation would improve.
known whether Togo was his including former Niger Pres- to be very cautious. in Africa’s Sahel region to
final destination. ident Mahamadou Issoufou. “The situation is very volatile help countries fight Islamic “The problems are too pro-
Earlier Sunday, religious in Burkina Faso,” a French extremists. found and the crisis is deeply
leaders who had mediated The ECOWAS statement, spokeswoman told The As- Some who support the new rooted,” said Heni Nsaibia,
between the factions said that signed by Guinea-Bissau sociated Press on Sunday. coup leader, Traore, have a senior researcher at the
Damiba had offered his resig- President Umaro Sissoco called on Burkina Faso’s Armed Conflict Location &
nation as long as his security Embalo, noted that Damiba Damiba came to power in government to seek Russian Event Data Project, adding
and other conditions were had resigned “in order to January promising to secure support instead. Outside the that “militant groups will
met. A junta representative avoid a violent confrontation the country from jihadi vio- state broadcaster on Sunday, most likely continue to ex-
later announced on state tele- and possible bloodshed.” lence. However, the situation supporters of Traore were ploit” the country’s political
vision that their leader, Capt. Earlier in the day, the new only deteriorated as jihadis seen cheering and waving disarray.
Ibrahim Traore, officially has junta leadership had called
been named head of state fol- for an end to the unrest that
lowing the Friday coup that engulfed Ouagadouou in
ousted Damiba. wake of Friday night’s coup.
Their power grab marked In a statement broadcast on
Burkina Faso’s second mili- state television, junta repre-
tary coup this year, deepening sentative Capt. Kiswendsida
fears that the political chaos Farouk Azaria Sorgho called
could divert attention from on people to “desist from any
an Islamic insurgency whose act of violence and vandal-
violence has killed thousands ism” especially those against
and forced 2 million to flee the French Embassy or the
their homes. It followed un- French military base.
rest in Ouagadougou, the
capital, in which mobs on Anti-French sentiment rose
Saturday attacked the French sharply after the new junta
embassy and other French- alleged that interim presi-
related sites, wrongly believ- dent Damiba was sheltering
ing that they were sheltering at a French military base fol-