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Burkina Faso was
plunged into chaos on Wednesday when the elite Republican Guard
-- a pillar of long-time former President Blaise Compaore's
regime -- seized Kafando, Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida, and
two ministers.
The powerful presidential guard has repeatedly meddled in
politics since Compaore was toppled in a popular uprising in
October last year.
"The patriotic forces, grouped together in the National Council
for Democracy, have decided today to put an end to the deviant
transitional regime," the military official said on RTB state
television.
"The transition has progressively distanced itself from the
objectives of refounding our democracy," he said, adding that a
revision of the electoral law that blocked supporters of
Compaore from running in the planned Oct. 11 had "created
divisions and frustrations amongst the people."
The apparent military coup -- which had raised condemnation from
the United Nations, the U.S. government and former colonial
power France -- quashed hopes of a smooth transition in Burkina
Faso, which became a beacon for democratic aspirations in Africa
after protesters ousted Compaore.
Hundreds of people had taken to the streets of Ouagadougou late
on Wednesday to protest against the seizure of Kafando and the
prime minister.
On Thursday, soldiers fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of
more than 100 people gathered in the central Independence Square
to protest against the presidential guard, a Reuters witness
said.
Sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from other areas of the
capital early on Thursday morning.
(Reporting by Nadoun Coulibaly; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing
by Emma Farge)
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