By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso–  Despite dissolving his government, hiring new military commanders and enforcing a curfew, Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaore has failed to put an end to the protests and riots that started last Thursday.  Police and students have joined the soldiers who began rioting Thursday night.  The growing discontent of many Burkinabe’s has merged and the violence has spread to other towns.  The protests began late Thursday night when soldiers, frustrated that their pay had been withheld, began shooting into the air in the military compound near Compaore’s presidential residence.  The soldiers then spread into the city, looting shops and stealing citizen’s cars.

After the government failed to reign in the soldiers, merchants in the capital of Ouagadougou retaliated on Saturday, setting fire to busses and the ruling party’s headquarters.  Since Saturday, the military rioting spread to the northern town of Kaya and the southern towns of Po and Tenkodogo.  Though the smaller towns have apparently calmed down since Monday night- when soldiers roamed through the streets firing in the air, looting businesses and firing on the homes of military commanders- merchants in the capital refused to open their stalls in the center market.  This is no surprise given the level of violence- one witness told Reuters, “They are moving through town and they continue to fire in the air. They are taking people’s motorbikes and cars and breaking up shops.”    Since Thursday, 45 people have been taken to the hospital with riot-related injuries.

Analysts are saying this could be the end of Compaore’s rule in Burkina Faso.  Compaore has been in power since 1987 when he took over through a coup.  Since then the government has enacted terms limits, but Compaore is exempt since he was in power before the current constitution took effect.  Opposition from the younger generation of soldiers coming in poses the most serious threat to Compaore’s power.  Said Ashley Elliot of Control Risks,

The loyalists that were with Compaore for the 1987 putsch still pull the strings, but the old guard is ageing and a gulf has opened up between them and the junior officers. . . .The negotiations between senior and junior officers that began this weekend are about conditions and pay, but between the lines they are about redressing a generational balance of power.

For more information, please see;

Aljazeera– Fresh Riots Reported in Burkina Faso– 18 April, 2011

Reuters– ANALYSIS- Burkina Faso Unrest Threatens Compaore Government– 18 April, 2011

Mail & Guardian– Burkina Faso Mutiny Spreads as Police, Students Riot– 18 April, 2011

BBC– Burkina Faso Mutiny Spreads to Fourth City– 18 April, 2011