Burkina Faso ‘coup’: Transitional government forced out

Burkina Faso is scheduled to hold an election on October 11 to complete a transition back to democracy after long time ruler President Blaise Compaore was forced out past year.

Former Burkinabe foreign minister Michel Kafando was then appointed interim president for one year.

On Thursday, soldiers fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of more than 100 people gathered in the central Independence Square to protest against the presidential guard, a witness said.

“We have demanded that the military junta that has now officially announced that it is a coup hand over power to the transitional authority that was there: the president, the prime minister and other relevant authorities”, Mwencha said.

The governments of France, the USA, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States have condemned the move by the presidential guard.

MOFA also called on R.O.C. citizens in Burkina Faso to pay extra attention to their personal safety during this latest round of political uproar.

This is a still developing story that began last night with the detention of Burkina Faso’s interim president and prime minister by the presidential guard.

Protesters marching on the presidential palace in the capital Ouagadougou to condemn the hostage-taking scattered as bursts of gunfire broke out around 7:30 pm (1930 GMT).

Coup leaders later declared Gilbert Diendéré – long-time former aide to ex-President Blaise Campoare – as leader until “inclusive and peaceful” elections could be held, France 24 reported.

“It is really hard to see how elections can take place in this current environment”, he said.

The processes which led up to the current events were fully explained in an article we published just a few days ago, Burkina Faso: Regime in crisis before the elections.

Burkina Faso teetered into chaos on Wednesday when the presidential guard arrested interim President Michel Kafando, Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida, and two ministers.

The military spokesperson said it had been necessary to end the temporary government that he said he deviated from the goals of the revolt in October of 2014.

The headquarters of Mr Compaore’s Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party were ransacked in Ouagadougou as news of the coup spread, it adds.

The country’s main trade unions immediately called for a general strike “against the RSP interference in politics and for a true democracy”.

The RSP has repeatedly tried to disrupt the ongoing transition.

Protesters toppled Compaore past year after he expressed a desire to extend his 27-year rule.

“The National Transition Council has been… dissolved…”