OUAGADOUGOU-(MaraviPost)-Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained at the Sangoule Lamizana barracks in the capital Ouagadougou by mutinying soldiers .
Security source confirmed the news on Monday, January 24, 2022
The news comes just a day after the military staged an uprising at several army barracks, prompting fears of a coup in the conflict-hit country. The soldiers were demanding the sacking of the military top brass and more resources to fight a bloody jihadist insurgency.
Other sources reported that on Monday morning, several armoured vehicles from the presidential fleet, riddled with bullets, could be seen near Kabore’s residence and among them, one was spattered with blood.
Prior to the news of the detention of the president, heavy gunfire was also reportedly heard at numerous military bases near Kabore’s residence in the capital on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported.
Protesters reportedly looted and set fire the headquarters of Kaboré’s ruling party on Sunday while police dispersed demonstrations in support of a potential coup that held in the centre of the city despite government’s denial of the rumours of a coup.
Commenting on the matter, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) said it was very concerned at the situation and expressed its solidarity with Kaboré, the government and its people.
The coup is the fourth in the west African region in 15 months, after successive military takeovers, including in Chad.
Kaboré had himself come to power after the former president Blaise Compaoré was overthrown by a popular uprising in 2014, and fled to Ivory Coast. Compaoré is being tried in absentia for the assassination of former revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.
Since 2015 a jihadist insurgency, spreading from neighbouring Mali, has overwhelmed the large and poor west African country and thousands have died while about 1.5 million people are internally displaced.
