Among other things, the soldiers demanded the dismissal of the military leadership.
In West Africa a military coup is under way in Burkina Faso. Rebel soldiers have captured the country’s president Roch Marc Christian Kaboren, according to security sources.
On Monday at about half past eight in Finnish time in the evening, security sources told news agency Reuters that President Kabore has resigned. The president has not appeared in public since he was arrested by soldiers on Sunday.
Troop appeared at the same time in front of the cameras of the country ‘s broadcaster Radio Télévision du Burkina (RTB) and announced that the army had been fired by the army. He said the soldiers were unable to unite the country in the face of numerous challenges.
The coup was bloodless, according to soldiers appearing on television. According to them, the country’s constitution has been suspended and the government and parliament have been dissolved. Soldiers also announced that the country’s borders have been closed since Monday.
The soldiers’ information on television was read by a lieutenant colonel in the armed forces Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiban on behalf of.
On Monday the country’s leading People’s Movement for Progress (MPP) said Kabore would have survived the assassination attempt. According to an MPP representative, the rebels have taken over state radio and television channels.
“What at first seemed to be just a simple uprising launched by some soldiers is fast, hour by hour, turning into a military coup against our high-won democracy,” the MPP said in a statement.
The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have condemned what they consider to be a coup.
Also the government and the president of parliament were transported to army barracks in the country’s capital, Ouagadougou.
Internet connections in Ouagadougou have been down since Sunday, making it difficult to get information about the city.
The uprising began on Sunday at several military bases around the country. The soldiers are demanding, among other things, the dismissal of the military leadership and more resources to fight Islamists.
Kabore was elected president in 2015. Five years later, he made it to the second term largely because he promised to defeat the rampant Islamists in the country.
More than 2,000 people have died in jihadist attacks since 2015. The worst areas have been the border areas of Mali and Niger.
Behind the attacks are extremist groups Isis and allies with al-Qaeda.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world.
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