In Pictures

Gallery

Burkina Faso coup and violent protests

At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in protests sparked by the coup.

Burkino Faso
Burkina Faso coup leaders have freed interim President Michel Kafando and two of his ministers from detention hours after army soldiers entered the capital Ouagadougou without resistance. [Joe Penney/Reuters]
Published On 22 Sep 2015

General Gilbert Diendere took over as head of a new National Democratic Council a day after members of Compaore’s powerful Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) burst into a cabinet meeting and took the interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida hostage.

A joint statement by the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages”.

Read More: Burkina Faso army issues ultimatum to coup leaders

Street protests erupted outside the presidential palace where the interim leaders were being held, with RSP officers firing shots to disperse demonstrators. At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in protests sparked by the coup, which came just weeks before what would have been the first election since longtime leader Blaise Compaore was ousted in a popular revolt last October after trying to extend his 27-year grip on power.

Diendere on Monday apologised to the nation and said he would hand over control to a civilian transitional government after a warning from the military that its forces would converge on the capital and forcibly disarm the soldiers behind the power grab.

After the announcement, people took to the streets to celebrate what they hoped meant the end to the coup and the chance of elections later this year.

Burkina Faso coup
The presidential guard took President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida hostage while they were at a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace. [Ahmed Yempabou/EPA]
Advertisement
Burkina Faso coup
El Zamalek's Mohamed Koffi from Burkina Faso shows a message that reads 'Peace in Burkina Faso' after winning their Egyptian Cup finals derby soccer match against Al Ahly at Petro Sport stadium in Cairo, Egypt. [Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters]
Burkina Faso coup
While gunfire rang out in the streets, Burkina Faso's military took to the airwaves Thursday to declare it now controls the West African country, confirming that a coup had taken place just weeks before scheduled elections. [Theo Renaut/AP]
Burkina faso coup
At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in protests sparked by the coup. [Joe Penney/Reuters]
Burkina Faso coup
General Gilbert Diendere, a former top aide to longtime president Blaise Compaore, who was named the country's military leader last Thursday, says he has already met with some members of the international community to establish dialogue and to seek a long-term solution. [Theo Renaut/AP]
Burkina Faso coup
An anti-coup protester holds a Burkinabe flag in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. [Joe Penney/Reuters]
Advertisement
Burkina Faso
Regional mediators seeking to peacefully roll back a military coup in Burkina Faso said that they had negotiated a draft deal on Sunday to end the crisis though they failed to secure the immediate restoration of civilian rule. [Joe Penney/Reuters]
Burkina Faso coup
A statement issued by the coup leaders said the country would be led by General Gilbert Diendere who was former President Blaise Compaore's chief of staff. [Theo Renaut/AP]
Burkina Faso
Pro-coup demonstrators in Burkina Faso on Sunday invaded the hotel where talks aimed at hammering out the details of a deal to restore a civilian interim government were taking place and attacked participants arriving for the meeting, witnesses said. [Joe Penney/Reuters]