Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was detained by mutinying soldiers, security officials said, with troops leading the apparent coup saying his government failed to support them during a deadly insurgency.
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The news reports on Monday came a day after soldiers staged mutinies at several army barracks, prompting fears of a coup in the conflict-hit country. Later on Sunday, heavy gunfire was also heard near Kabore’s residence in the capital, Ouagadougou.
Several armoured vehicles from the presidential fleet, riddled with bullets, could be seen near the residence on Monday morning. One was spattered with blood.
Two security sources and a West African diplomat told Reuters news agency that Kabore was detained at a military camp. There was no immediate comment by the government, which on Sunday had denied that a coup was under way.
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“We just passed the military base where Kabore is alleged to be confined at the moment,” journalist Henry Wilkins reported from Ouagadougou on Monday.
“Traffic is circulating as normal but there is an unusually high number of military personnel out on the streets around the presidential palace.”
Talks between representatives of the soldiers and Defence Minister General Barthelemy Simpore failed to make headway, a government source said.
About a dozen hooded troops stationed themselves in front of the national broadcaster RTB, but it was not immediately clear if they were from the mutineers or had been sent by the government.
Source: REUTERS
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