Burkina Faso: who is Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the coup leader?

Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is the leader of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration (MPSR) which overthrew the President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kaboré.

Here are some things we should know about him:

• Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba has been at the forefront of the country’s fight against Islamist militants,
• The 41-year-old wrote a book on the subject last year – West African Armies and Terrorism: Uncertain Responses?
• The lieutenant-colonel studied in France – at a military academy and a prestigious institution where he got a Master’s in criminal sciences,
• He opposed a previous coup in 2015, which lasted seven days,
• He started his career in the presidential guard (RPS) – the now-disbanded unit was seen as powerful during the presidency of Blaise Compaoré, who was overthrown in 2014 amid protests.