An official announcement has come from the military in Burkina Faso, stating the dissolution of the country’s transitional government. This announcement is coming just a day after presidential guards arrested the interim president and prime minister.
Interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Yacouba Zida were detained by soldiers during an afternoon Cabinet meeting, causing chaos and uncertainty in the country.
Elections where set to hold in October, and the interim leaders were due to hand power to a new government after elections on October 11, 2015.
Their arrest on Wednesday resulted in protests outside the presidential palace. The soldiers were emphatic in their response, as they responded with gunfire and forced radio and television stations to stop broadcasting.
A military official said in the early hours of today that the interim president, Mr. Kafando, had been stripped of his functions and the government dissolved.
“We have put in place a national democracy council tasked with organising democratic and inclusive elections,” said official in military uniform, according to Reuters.
Moumina Cheriff Sy, the speaker of the transitional parliament, called the coup “a blow to the republic and its institutions”.
“I call on all patriots to gather to defend the motherland,” he said.
Reacting to the situation, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed outrage over the coup, calling for the immediate release of the leaders.
In a statement from Mr. Ban’s press office he said: “This incident is a flagrant violation of Burkina Faso’s Constitution and Transitional Charter”.
The United States spoke as well:
“The United States strongly condemns any attempt to seize power through extra-constitutional means or resolve internal political disagreements using force,” State Department spokesperson, John Kirby, said in a statement.
