On Sunday, October 2, two days after army soldiers proclaimed his overthrow in a coup that caused domestic uproar and international condemnation, Damiba announced his resignation and fled to Togo.
Two diplomats who spoke to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity because the conversation was so sensitive confirmed Damiba’s departure.
It was unclear if Togo was his ultimate destination.
Religious leaders who had mediated between the factions earlier on Sunday claimed that Damiba had volunteered to quit if his security and other requirements were met.
Following the Friday coup that deposed Damiba, a junta representative later declared on state television that its leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, had been officially named head of state.
The head of the junta in Burkina Faso is Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo.
Their seizure of power was the second military coup in Burkina Faso this year, escalating worries that the upheaval in politics would draw attention away from the Islamic insurgency, whose violence has killed thousands and driven 2 million people from their homes. It came after rioting in the nation’s capital, Ouagadougou, in which mobs on Saturday attacked the French Embassy and other French-related buildings under the mistaken belief that they were providing refuge for Damiba.
Damiba implored Traore and the new junta leadership to respect the promises already made to the West African regional group ECOWAS in addition to promising not to injure or prosecute him. Damiba, who took control following a coup in January, has promised to hold elections by 2024.
34-year-old Traoré appears to have accepted the conditions and called for calm.
