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GENEVA / BURKINA FASO MILITARY TAKEOVER
STORY: GENEVA / BURKINA FASO MILITARY TAKEOVER
TRT: 1:52
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 25 JANUARY 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
25 JANUARY 2022, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, Palais des Nations exterior
2. Wide shot, press room
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The High Commissioner deeply deplores the military takeover of power in Burkina Faso yesterday. During her visit to Burkina Faso last November, she had stressed the importance of preserving the hard won democratic and human rights gains made in the country, noting in particular the peaceful legislative and presidential elections that had been held in 2020. We call on the military to immediately release the president and other high-level officials who have been detained. We urge a swift return to constitutional order.”
4. Close up, camera viewfinders showing spokesperson
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We do not have personal contact at the moment with the coup leaders, but as I said, what we saw in the country was, of course, a multifaceted crisis.”
6. Med shot, videographer
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We stress that military takeover is not the solution, really there needs to be a meaningful dialog, with the participation of people from across the spectrum to be able to air their grievances peacefully and to be able to resolve the situation together. And we are urging that the President is immediately released.”
8. Close up, journalist taking notes on notepad
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“There was, in fact, a dialog that had been initiated and there was a process of social reconciliation. And we met with the minister who was in charge of that, and he was bringing together different actors. So, it's not too late. We are still calling for a restoration of civilian rule. We're calling for the release of the President and other high-level officials who have been detained.”
10. Med shot, masked participants listening
11. Close up, hands typing on keyboard
12. Med shot, Ravina Shamdasani at dais
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet “deeply deplores the military takeover of power” in Burkina Faso and urged a “swift return to constitutional order,” according to a spokesperson.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva today (25 Jan), UN human rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said, during Bachelet’s visit to the country last November, “she had stressed the importance of preserving the hard won democratic and human rights gains made in the country, noting in particular the peaceful legislative and presidential elections that had been held in 2020. We call on the military to immediately release the president and other high-level officials who have been detained.”
Soldiers in Burkina Faso ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré on Monday dissolving the government and suspending the country’s constitution.
This latest coup in West Africa comes amid a “multifaceted crisis”, according to OHCHR, including climate change, conflicts, extremist groups’ attacks on local populations, as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation.
OHCHR estimated that three million people are food insecure in the country. Those factors generate a lot of frustration among the population, Shamdasani said. She stressed that military takeover “is not the solution, really there needs to be a meaningful dialog, with the participation of people from across the spectrum to be able to air their grievances peacefully and to be able to resolve the situation together. And we are urging that the President is immediately released.”
The OHCHR spokesperson said, “There was, in fact, a dialog that had been initiated and there was a process of social reconciliation. And we met with the minister who was in charge of that, and he was bringing together different actors. So, it's not too late. We are still calling for a restoration of civilian rule. We're calling for the release of the President and other high-level officials who have been detained.”
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