Burkina Faso feared to have suffered military takeover as troops arrest interim president

BURKINA Faso is feared to be in the middle of a military takeover after soldiers arrested and detained the country's interim president Michel Kafando and its prime minister Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Isaac Zida yesterday.

 

On October 31 last year, Burkina Faso's army seized power after the outbreak of widespread popular demonstrations to end the 27-year rule of President Blaise Compaore. Having first seized power in a military coup in 1978, President Compaore went on to win four disputed elections and wanted to extend his stay further, which prompted the uprising.

 

However, after the intervention of other African governments, the Burkinabe army agreed to hand over power to Mr Kafando, who was tasked with conducting general elections. Burkina Faso's former foreign minister and permanent representative to the United Nations, Mr Kafando was due to oversee elections on October 11 this year.

 

It is not yet clear if these elections will still go ahead now as soldiers not only detained the president and prime ministers but also several members of the cabinet. Yesterday, soldiers showed up at the presidential palace, firing shots at protesters who had gathered outside and preventing anyone from leaving the complex.

 

After last year's coup, Nigeria's then President Goodluck Jonathan, Senegal's President Macky Sall and Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama visited Burkina Faso together and met with junta leader Lt Col Zida, where they pressed him to hand over. Under the agreement reached, Mr Kafando was to appoint a 25-member government and was barred from standing in the forthcoming elections.