Casablanca – Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air Maroc (RAM) announced on October 3 the resumption of its flights linking Casablanca to Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou.
The decision came following the reopening of air borders in Burkina Faso on October 2, after being shut down due to the country’s political crisis.
“We inform you that following the reopening of air borders in Burkina Faso, our flight schedule to/from Ouagadougou is restored,” Royal Air Maroc said in a tweet.
Two days earlier, on October 1, the Moroccan airline had announced the suspension of its Casablanca-Ouagadougou flights, as a result of Burkina Faso’s political instability.
Despite the reopening of air borders, flight delays and cancelations may still occur as tensions remain in place.
On September 30, Burkina Faso military officials ousted President Henri Sandaogo Damiba in a new coup d’etat citing his inability to deal with the deteriorating security situation.
The military officials explicitly accused Damiba of “betraying” their “sole objective, which is the restoration of the security and integrity of [their] region.”
Read also: Coup d’Etat: Morocco Sets Up Cell to Assist Moroccans in Burkina Faso
Following the coup, Damiba announced his resignation “to avoid human and material consequences,” under the condition that he and his allies be guaranteed security.
The coup came only eight months after Damiba took a similar measure against Former President Roch Marc Kabore in January.
As a result, Morocco’s embassy in Ouagadougou set up a cell to monitor the situation in the country on October 2 and stay informed on the situation of Moroccans in Burkina Faso.
“The embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco is closely following the situation in Burkina Faso and the events taking place there since Friday,” the Moroccan embassy said in a statement.
The embassy further urged the Moroccan community to remain at home and “observe all vigilance,” emphasizing that the cell is presently monitoring all developments in the country.
Army Captain Ibrahim Traore seized control and dissolved the transitional government, declaring border closures and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time.
