Burkina Faso: Guards storm cabinet, detain president, prime minister

On Wednesday, presidential guard (RSP) members burst into a cabinet meeting and detained acting president Michel Kafando, prime minister Isaac Zida, and two ministers.

The military in Burkina Faso has announced the dissolution of the country’s transitional government.

People have taken to the streets of Burkina Faso to protest against the military coup and the arrest of several leaders in the country’s transitional government.

A military official said on state-run media in Ouagadougou that they had put in place a national democracy council charged with organising democratic and inclusive elections. By the end of that month, the country officially marked the transfer of power to Kafando, as the Transitional President for ensuring Burkina Faso’s democratization process.

Yacouba Ouedraogo, a BBC reporter, said there is heavy shooting at the main square in Oaugadougou, capital of the country.

“ECOWAS, African Union and United nations call for the immediate release of the hostages”.

Ofeibea reports for All Things Considered: “Demonstrators were quick to protest in the capital, Ouagadougou where marches were met with force and shots by presidential guards patrolling the streets”.

The speaker of the parliament, Cheriff Sy, has said this is “clearly a coup” and has called upon the Burkinabe people to “immediately rise up”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the coup a serious violation of Burkina Faso’s constitution and its interim government.

The presidential guard, known as the RSP, was a key pillar of President Blaise Compaore’s regime before he was toppled by demonstrations in October after 27 years in power.

The coup leaders have imposed a night-time curfew across the West African state, and have ordered the closure of land and air borders.

A communique announcing the coup, read by Lt. Col. Mamadou Bamba, criticized the electoral code, which blocked members of ex-president’s President Blaise Compaore’s party from taking part in the elections, the Associated Press reports.

A new government was billed to take over from them after elections on 11 October. He said he would start a political dialogue that included all parties and would lead to elections at a date to be determined.