{"id":16874,"date":"2022-01-25T08:08:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-25T13:08:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/?p=16874"},"modified":"2022-01-26T06:20:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T11:20:33","slug":"burkina-faso-military-coup-in-ouagadougou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ops.group\/blog\/burkina-faso-military-coup-in-ouagadougou\/","title":{"rendered":"Burkina Faso: Military Coup in Ouagadougou"},"content":{"rendered":"

On January 24, news broke that an attempted coup was underway by military rebels in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou. The president has since been detained.<\/p>\n

Here is a look at the ongoing situation and the potential impact on international flight operations.<\/p>\n

What is happening there?<\/h4>\n

The Western African region is an area of significant unrest and one we highlighted<\/a>\u00a0to watch throughout 2022 for potential conflicts.<\/p>\n

Burkina Faso itself has been volatile since it gained its independence in 1960, and several coups<\/strong> have been attempted<\/strong> over the decades. It has also been struggling with increased levels of Islamist Insurgency given its proximity to Mali.<\/p>\n

Tensions have been escalating for some time, and on January 22 there were reports of anti-government protests<\/strong> in the capital, Ouagadougou. Gunfire was reported near DFFD\/Ouagadougou airport, and several military bases were attacked.\u00a0<\/strong>There were fears an armed coup was underway.<\/p>\n

Then on January 24, the president was reportedly detained by soldiers<\/a>. It’s not clear yet if the entire military is involved, or just a smaller faction.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Air Burkina is the national carrier.<\/p><\/div>\n

What is the impact so far on international ops?<\/h4>\n

Security<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The US Embassy advise<\/a> that scheduled flights have been suspended at DFFD\/Ouagadougou<\/strong> until the security situation stabilises. The airport itself appears to still be open, and on January 25 the government confirmed the air borders were open<\/strong>, but land borders remained closed.<\/p>\n

The primary risk to aviation is security on the ground.<\/strong> As things could change quickly, it should be considered dangerous to stop here at this time. There are reports that non-essential embassy staff have been asked to leave. The ability of embassies in Burkina Faso to help foreigners should be considered limited.<\/p>\n

This may create problems for flight planning as DFFD is often used for en-route and destination alternates for aircraft transiting Africa. It is considered to have better infrastructure and support available. GABS\/Bamako<\/strong> in Mali is another option, but things are volatile there as well. So extra thought may need to put into crew security in the event of diversions.<\/p>\n

Consider DGAA\/Accra<\/strong> airport in Ghana as a safer option. The security situation<\/a> there is more stable than neighbouring countries, and the airport has good and reliable facilities. We recommend Apogee as your agent – you can contact them at fly@apogee.aero<\/a>, or +971 4 295 40 41.<\/p>\n

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The FIR boundaries do not coincide with state boundaries.<\/p><\/div>\n

Overflights<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Burkina Faso is not responsible for its en-route airspace. It is found within the DRRR\/Niamey FIR<\/strong>,\u00a0 and controlled from neighbouring Niger. Therefore overflights are not likely to be affected by the events in Ouagadougou. Check Safeairspace warnings<\/a> for Mali and impact on flights through the Niamey FIR.<\/p>\n

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Warnings are in place for the Niamey FIR.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Mali Situation<\/h4>\n

There was also a coup in Mali this month<\/strong> and civil unrest is ongoing. It was condemned by other countries in the region and has led to sanctions against Mali.<\/a> The US Department of State maintain its highest level of travel warning for Mali, which should also be considered a dangerous option.<\/p>\n

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The ECOWAS region is generally very volatile.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Overall Risk Assessment<\/h4>\n

The impact on aviation safety is generally low. However stops in Burkina Faso should be avoided until the situation stabilises. The risk is ground based – the security of crew and passengers cannot be guaranteed at this time. However airports and communication infrastructure remain up and running at time of writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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