Heavy gunfire heard in Burkina barracks, gov’t denies army takeover -Breaking
[ad_1]

By Thiam Nadiaga
OUAGADOUGOU /Reuters – Gunfire rang from Burkina Faso’s military camps early Sunday morning, according to the government, though it denies that the military has seized power.
According to Reuters, heavy weapons fire started at Ouagadougou’s Sangoule Lamizana Camp, capital of the army, at least at 5:00 a.m. (0500 GMT).
A reporter saw troops firing into the sky at Ouagadougou airbase and in the camp. Witnesses also saw gunfire in a Kaya military camp, located about 100km (62 miles) north Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso’s government has confirmed that gunfire was heard at military camps, but denies reports via social media that the army has seized power.
National television broadcast by Defence Minister General Bathelemy Simpore. Simpore said that rumors that President Roch Marc Kabore was being held hostage were untrue and added that the motivation behind the shootings is still unknown.
Simpore claimed that “the head of state is not currently being detained” and no institutions of the country have been endangered. “For now, we don’t know their motives or what they are demanding. He said that they were trying to contact them, and added that some barracks had returned calm.
Following successful putches in Mali/Guinea over the last 18 months, governments in West Africa and Central Africa have been on alert for possible coups. After President Idriss deby was killed on the field, the military took control of Chad.
STREET PROTESTS
Burkinabe authorities arrested https://www.reuters.com/article/burkina-security-idAFL8N2TR52K a dozen soldiers earlier this month on suspicion of conspiring against the government.
These arrests were made following a December shakeup in the army’s leadership, which analysts thought was an attempt by President Roch Kabore to strengthen his military support.
Rising violence in the West African country by Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State killed over 2,000 people last year, prompting violent street protests https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/burkina-faso-police-fire-tear-gas-protest-against-militant-violence-2021-11-27 in November calling for Kabore to step down.
Further demonstrations were scheduled for Saturday but they were banned by the government and police intervened in order to disperse hundreds of protestors trying to gather at Ouagadougou.
Mobile internet services have been suspended by the government on numerous occasions. The tense atmosphere in November has prompted the U.N. special representative to West Africa, to warn of any military coup.
General Gilbert Diendere is one of the Sangoule Lamizana prison inmates. He was an ally to Blaise Comaore’s former president. Compaore’s government was overthrown during a revolt in 2014.
The coup against the transitional government was led by Diendere in the year that followed. Diendere was sentenced in 2019 for 20 years. He is being held in relation to Compaore’s predecessor, Thomas Sankara’s assassination in a coup attempt in 1987.
Fusion MediaFusion Media or any other person involved in the website will not be held responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on this information, including charts, buy/sell signals, and data. Trading the financial markets is one of most risky investment options. Please make sure you are fully aware about the costs and risks involved.
[ad_2]