Supporters hold up pictures of coup leader Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.The US has halted nearly $160 million in US aid to Burkina Faso after determining the January ouster of President Roch Kabore constituted a military coup, triggering aid restrictions under US law, a State Department spokesperson told Reuters on Friday.
The State Department made the determination, which had not been previously reported, after “careful review,” a department spokesperson said. The decision was made in line with a US law under which US foreign aid — except funds to promote democracy — must be stopped to a country whose elected head of government is deposed by military coup or in a coup in which the military plays a decisive role.
“The State Department assesses that a military coup took place in Burkina Faso,” a spokesperson for the department said in an email. “Therefore, approximately $158.6 million in foreign assistance that benefits the Government of Burkina Faso is restricted,” it said. In a notice to Congress, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, the State Department said it was exploring the possibility of overcoming the aid restrictions when in the US national interest, notably to provide lifesaving assistance in the health sector.
The State Department said on Jan. 31 that it had paused most assistance to Burkina Faso after the country's military leader Paul-Henri Damiba led a junta that on Jan. 24 overthrew Kabore.
this is likely to be more of a blow to the poor people of Burkina Faso than to the regime..