Gunfire heard across capital as general takes power in Burkina Faso coup

A new leader was installed on Thursday after the military detained Burkina Faso’s stand-in president, prime minister and two other ministers in a military coup. Gilbert Diendere, a general in the elite presidential guard, will head a transitional council, state TV said. Military spokesman Lt-Col Mamadou Bamba also appeared on TV to announce a new “national democratic council” had taken control to end the “deviant regime”. It came a day after the presidential guard detained transitional president Michael Kafando, prime minister Yacouba Isaac Zida and two other ministers. Heavy gunfire also continued to ring out across the capital, Ouagadougou, early on Thursday. .

The transition has progressively distanced itself from the objectives of refounding our democracy

Military spokesman Lt-Col Mamadou Bamba

The apparent military coup – which raised condemnation from the United Nations, the U.S. and former colonial power France – quashed hopes that Burkina Faso would become a beacon for democracy in Africa. Last year, long-time leader Blaise Compaore was ousted in a popular uprising and elections were due to be held in a few weeks to replace him. But the presidential guard, a pillar of Mr Compaore’s regime, say they are unhappy that his supporters are barred from standing. In his announcement, Lt-Col Bamba said wide-ranging talks were being held to form a new interim government that would organise “peaceful and inclusive elections”.

He calls for the immediate liberation of all those arrested, for the interim authorities to be put back in place and for the continuation of the electoral process.

Spokesman for French president Francois Hollande

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