An uneasy calm prevailed in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, after the presidential guard detained the interim president and prime minister on Wednesday.
Soldiers from the presidential guard stormed an afternoon Cabinet meeting and detained interim President Michel Kafando and interim PM Yacouba Isaac Zida as well as ministers who were present.
[contextly_sidebar id=”YEKXiz85fxarfosgTPZigFOhF6HCMti0″]The incident plunged the West African country into uncertainty just weeks before the first elections since the ouster of ex-leader Blaise Compaore.
The detention of the nation’s transitional leaders triggered immediate street protests outside the presidential palace, where the men were being held.
Gunfire pierced the air as soldiers tried to disperse several hundred demonstrators, an AFP reporter saw.
Broadcast cut
It was impossible to immediately verify whether anyone had been wounded.
Protesters marching on the presidential palace in Ouagadougou to condemn the hostage-taking scattered as bursts of gunfire broke out around 7.30 pm.
Broadcasts by Radio France Internationale and the private Omega radio station were cut.
The station’s boss Alpha Barry told France 24 television that RSP troops had interrupted programming and threatened to kill staff if they did not stop transmitting.
An international conference taking place at the capital went on despite the incident.
The conference programme went on and delegates were picked up from their hotels at 6pm and driven to the opening ceremony of an arts exhibition.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, the head of the government’s Transitional National Council Moumina Cheriff Sy, opened the biennial International Festival of Freedom of Expression and the Press, FILEP.
Burkina Spring
Mr Cheriff recounted the role played by the media in the “Burkina Spring” that one year ago toppled the regime of President Blaise Campaore through a popular uprising.
Afterwards, he freely mingled with delegates and posed for photographs before taking his leave.
FILEP, now in its sixth edition, was organised by the Norbert Zongo National Press Centre.
The centre is named after a crusading investigative journalist who was killed by the Campaore regime.
Mr Cheriff hosted some of the visiting journalists in his office Wednesday afternoon.
Delegates were also told that a dinner scheduled to be hosted by Mr Cheriff as his residence would take place.
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Source: nation.co.ke