Burkina Faso coup: Senegal, Benin presidents to mediate

Two West African presidents – Senegal’s Macky Sall and Thomas Boni Yayi of Benin – are going to Burkina Faso to mediate with the leaders of a coup.

The putsch was announced after the presidential guard stormed a cabinet meeting detaining the interim president and prime minister.

A close ally of ex-President Blaise Compaore has been named the new leader. The US, France and the African Union (AU) have condemned the takeover in the former French colony.

At least three people have been killed by the presidential guard (RSP) amid protests in the capital, Ouagadougou. The influential Balai Citoyen civil society group has put the number of dead at 10.

An unknown number of protesters have also been detained. The coup leaders imposed a night-time curfew across the West African state, and have ordered the closure of land and air borders.

An officer said on state television that a new government would be formed

Elections were due to be held on October 11, nearly a year after a popular uprising forced Mr Compaore from power.

The headquarters of Mr Compaore’s Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party were ransacked in Ouagadougou as news of the coup spread, the AFP news agency reports.

The AU and regional body the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), called for the immediate release of “hostages”, referring to interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida, who were detained at a cabinet meeting in the president palace on Wednesday.

President Sall said he was heading to Ouagadougou in his role as the current chairman of ECOWAS.

Read also: Coup: Compaore’s loya

Mr Compaore was accused of committing widespread abuses

The elite presidential guard has been trained, in part, by the US. It is the most powerful armed group in Burkina Faso and often disrupted the activities of the transitional government as it tried to cling to the privileges it enjoyed under Mr Compaore’s rule.

It is seen to be close to him, and is not popular on the streets. So its seizure of power could be a recipe for serious violence.

The transitional government might have made two mistakes – preventing politicians loyal to Mr Compaore from running in next month’s elections and allowing the Reconciliation Commission, formed to heal wounds after the end of his authoritarian rule, to release a report calling for the presidential guard to be disbanded.

Some argue that a newly elected president would have had greater legitimacy to take such action.

Some of his key allies had been barred from contesting in the election.

A statement issued by the coup leaders said the country would be led by Gen Gilbert Diendere, Mr Compaore’s former chief-of-staff.

In media interviews, he said he had no contact with Mr Compaore and would do everything to “avoid violence that could plunge the country into chaos”.

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