Deadly violent protests erupted early yesterday in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, sequel to the coup staged on Wednesday by officers of the Presidential Guard in Burkina Faso.
The coup leaders have imposed a night-time curfew across the West African state, and have ordered the closure of land and air borders.
The US, France and African Union (AU) also condemned the coup in the former French colony. Reports said more than ten deaths amid protests in the capital, Ouagadougou.
Those killed were shot dead by presidential guard forces in the capital, a civil society group, Balai Citoyen, said, although the claim could not be independently verified. Other reports said protesters had been assaulted and detained.
A former chief-of-staff to former President Blaise Compaore, Gen Gilbert Diendere, has been named the country’s new leader, state television reported early yesterday. According to the reports, the headquarters of Compaore’s Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party were ransacked in Ouagadougou as news of the coup spread.
Meanwhile, the AU and the Economic Community of West African States have called for the immediate release of “hostages”, referring to interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida, who were detained at a cabinet meeting in the president palace before the coup plotters struck on Wednesday.
Interestingly, the duo’s transitional authority was due to hand power to a new government after elections on October 11.
Transitional Parliamentary Speaker, Cheriff Sy, had called for people to “immediately rise up” against the coup, and declared himself the leader of the country.
“We are in a resistance situation against adversity,” Sy said. The US State Department said it was deeply concerned about the events unfolding in Burkina Faso.
French President Francois Hollande said he strongly condemned the coup “because an electoral process was under way” but said France “will not intervene militarily.”
The US said it was deeply concerned about events in Burkina Faso, and it condemned the seizure of power through unconstitutional means.
Burkina Faso is a key ally of the US and France in the campaign against militant Islamists in the region.
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