Burkina Faso's military chief is now the
head of state of the West African nation, after
unrest that led to the resignation of President
Blaise Compaore.
Gen. Honore Nabere Traore, the head of Burkina
Faso's military, said Friday that he has taken
over presidential duties and that he will lead the
country through a political transition and
elections.
Faced with violent protests demanding an end to
his 27-year rule, Compaore initially dissolved the
government but said he would stay in power until
elections could be carried out.
He changed his mind, and on Friday announced
his resignation. Compaore said he stepped down
to preserve peace in the country.
Photos: Unrest in Burkina Faso
The new man in charge, Traore, appealed for calm
and called for a return to a normal constitutional
process. Security forces, including the military,
will continue to maintain order and safety in the
country, Traore added.
Upon his resignation, Compaore appealed via
Twitter for "free elections to be held in Burkina
Faso within 90 days at the most."
France, the former colonial ruler of what is today
Burkina Faso, welcomed the President's
resignation and called for elections to happen
quickly.
Unrest has gripped Burkina Faso -- a key partner
for Western countries in the campaign against
Islamist militants -- since protests against
Compaore's government turned violent Thursday.
Demonstrators stormed parliament, setting fire to
the building.
Compaore had been in office since he took power
after a bloody coup in 1987.
The opposition had called for Compaore's
immediate resignation. In Bobo-Dioulasso, the
country's second-largest city, protesters
reportedly tore down a statue of Compaore.
The incident followed reports of protesters
storming the parliament building, where
lawmakers were set to vote on a motion to allow
Compaore to extend his time in power.
Flights in and out of Ouagadougou, the capital,
have been suspended, according to the Burkina
Faso Embassy in Washington. Embassy personnel
told CNN that it was still issuing visas but that
there were no flights at the moment.
The West, particularly France, considers Burkina
Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda. The
country was formerly known as the Republic of
Upper Volta when it was established in 1958 as a
self-governing colony under France.
No comments:
Post a Comment