Burkina Faso: Military launches coup weeks before election

He will lead the National Council for Democracy, it said in a statement.

Burkina Faso’s military initially had picked Zida to lead the country when it swooped in and took control in the power vacuum after Compaore’s resignation.

This presidential guard unit of over 1,300 officers, considered as the best trained unit in Burkina Faso, was accused of being responsible for numerous assassinations and disappearances during the former regime.

Last June, Zida had to divert his plane to Ouagadougou Military Airport as he returned from an official visit to Taiwan to escape being arrested by the presidential guard.

A close ally of former President Blaise Compaore has been named the country’s new leader, state television reports.

The United States also called for the immediate release of the interim president, prime minister.

-The transitional government came into power after Blaise Campaore was overthrown with the help of a public uprising, in late 2014 after 27 years as leader of Burkina Faso.

Mr Sy told French radio station RFT that that people should “immediately rise up” in response to the coup.

The African Union has threatened Burkina Faso with sanctions unless power was handed over to civilians, and an agreement was reached on a transitional period.

A man holds bullet cases he said were shot by the presidential guard in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Thursday.

The office of France’s president Francois Hollande said the president strongly condemned the coup d’état and called for the immediate liberation of all who are arrested and for the authorities who were ruling the country to be reinstalled.

Kafando was chosen interim president in November, after Compaore fled to Ivory Coast following massive protests against his plans to extend his 27-year rule.

West African country’s transitional parliament, echoed the call and announced he would assume leadership until President Michel Kafando was freed.

“The transition has progressively distanced itself from the objectives of refounding our democracy“, he said, adding that a revision of the electoral law that blocked supporters of Compaore from running in the planned October 11 had “created divisions and frustrations amongst the people“.