Leaders of a coup in Burkina Faso have named Gilbert Diendere, a general in the elite presidential guard, to head a transitional council, the soldiers said in a statement broadcast on state-run television on Thursday.
The statement also announced the closure of the West African nation’s land and air borders as well as the implementation a curfew from 19:00 to 06:00 including for today 17 September.
UN Chief Ban Ki-moon is outraged over the situation in Burkina Faso. He is calling for the immediate release of the cabinet ministers, Prime Minister, and interim President.
Ban has called the incident a flagrant violation of Burkina Faso’s constitution and Transitional Charter. The UN Security Council is, meanwhile, calling on all actors in Burkina Faso to refrain from any violence.
Soldiers fired shots on Wednesday as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the presidential palace in Ouagadougou.
They were protesting the presidential guard’s decision to disrupt a cabinet meeting and seize the President, Prime Minister and other cabinet ministers.
The move comes just days after it was recommended that the powerful presidential guard be disbanded. The guard has 1,200 well-trained troops and has been called an army within an army.
The latest in Burkina Faso
https://twitter.com/ImadMesdoua/status/644451307894493184
Des actions de "résistance" constatées à Ouaga. #Burkina pic.twitter.com/w9XwDXXPJP
— Yacouba Ouédraogo 🇧🇫 (@Bambyam) September 17, 2015
Translation: Shares of “resistance” in Ouaga. #Burkina
#BurkinaFaso: Coup leader says members of the provisionary govt will be released Via @boukarioued Pol parties to issue a statement soon.
— José Miguel Sardo (@jmsardo) September 17, 2015
Blessé à l'hôpital Yalgado Ouédraogo #Burkina #lwili #lwiliblog pic.twitter.com/k7Qv9VYRo4
— Boukari Ouédraogo (@BoukariOued) September 17, 2015
Translation: Wounded at the University Hopsital of Yalgado Ouedraogo #Burkina #lwili #lwiliblog
Blessé envoyé à l'hôpital Yalgado Ouédraogo #Burkina #lwili #lwiliblog pic.twitter.com/3IQDhmLqJ4
— Boukari Ouédraogo (@BoukariOued) September 17, 2015
Translation: Injured sent to hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo #Burkina #lwili #lwiliblog
