Burkina Faso army fires at coup plotter barracks

The coup leader fled shortly before troops loyal to Burkina Faso’s transitional government stormed barracks held by his forces in Ouagadougou Tuesday, according to Reuters. Kafando and Zida were reinstalled on September 23. The decision to free Kafando appeared to signal possible flexibility by Diendere and the junta ahead of talks on Friday with Sall, current chairman of the West African ECOWAS bloc.

Burkina Faso’s coup leader Gilbert Diendere on Tuesday asked his men in a radio message “to surrender to avoid a bloodbath”.

The group drew worldwide condemnation for the move, with the French president threatening that “all those involved” in the coup would “face the consequences” if they do not lay down their arms. Regular army troops had taken control of strategic locations previously occupied by the renegades, he said.

The army launched an assault on the barracks of the elite presidential guard (RSP) after the putschists, who support deposed leader Blaise Compaore, refused to give up their weapons in line with a peace deal mediated by regional powers.

The failed coup also slowed down the industries’ production, with direct consequences of less 0.3 percent growth in public finances.

In another show of force, the army arrested Djibril Bassole, a former high-ranking minister accused of collaborating with the mutinous soldiers, said Ye.

In a communique issued Monday, the government lashed out at Diendere’s presidential guard which was disbanded last week after the short-lived coup.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Diendere said the presidential guard soldiers had not received the protections they initially were promised.

Bassole, a high-level diplomat, served under Compaore, who ruled Burkina Faso for almost 30 years.

He is one of 14 people whose assets were frozen by the courts on Saturday, among them Diendere.

The first round of voting was to have taken place on October 11, although officials have since said there will be a delay of several weeks due to the crisis.