Burkina Faso junta frees interim president after coup

With interim president Michel Kafando, prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida and two ministers under arrest, the country is on the brink of chaos.

Military leaders took over the government of the poverty-stricken, landlocked West African country.

The coup leaders later announced that Gen. Gilbert Diendere, who had been head of the elite presidential guard under Compaore and was his longtime aide, was now in charge of the nation.

Burkina Faso was preparing to hold its first democratic election in decades before the coup, led by allies of the former president, threw the nascent democracy into turmoil.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned a coup in Burkina Faso, where members of the presidential guard ousted the interim government Thursday.

On Wednesday, military leaders seized power in Burkina Faso after arresting the country’s president and prime minister.

Burkina Faso’s military said it had stripped interim President Michel Kafando of his powers and dissolved the government.

In a statement released Thursday night, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African affiliate of the global Federation of Journalists (IFJ), warned the putschists over any intimidations and attacks against the Burkina Faso media.

Compaore fled into exile in Ivory Coast after an uprising triggered by his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.

Jensen said that democracy in Burkina Faso was essential to stability in the country and the entire Sahel region and Denmark would continue to monitor the situation.

On Wednesday the capital, Ouagadougou, heard sporadic gunfire as soldiers clashed with protesters, with three person killed and scores injured.

The military communique declared that land and air borders were closed and that a curfew would be in effect from 7pm to 6am. Kafando was appointed in his place and had set elections for October 11.

It’s believed that the presidential guard are supporters of Blaise Compaore. “But we plan to discuss all that with the concerned actors, notably the political parties and civil society organizations, to establish a timetable that allows us to move towards presidential and parliamentary elections”.