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Rabat – Heavy gunfire was heard near the presidential palace and at several barracks in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, as soldiers detained Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore at a military camp today, January 24.
Security sources and an anonymous diplomat confirmed the news to Reuters.
Reuters and other international media suggested that the move is linked to a coup d’etat. However, the government in Burkina Faso continues to deny that the military is seeking to seize power.
The detention of the president also came after heavy gunfire across his residence on Sunday in Ouagadougou.
Reuters reported that the tension came after soldiers demanded more support for their fight against “Islamist militants and protesters.”
The news outlet also said that the government is holding talks with the soldiers, who were demanding more resources and adequate training for the fight against ISIS and Al Qaeda militants who have staged a number of attacks across Burkina Faso in recent months.
“Information on social media would have people believe there was an army takeover,” government spokesman Alkassoum Maiga said in a statement. “The government, while acknowledging that there was gunfire in some barracks, denies this information and calls on the public to remain calm.”
Amid the government’s reassurances to citizens, some protestors took to the street in Ouagadougou yesterday, calling on soldiers to “free the country!”
Burkina Faso witnessed waves of insecurity amid civil unrest.
In June 2021, the West African country experienced its deadliest terrorist attack in six years after a militant group killed over 132 civilians.
The attack, which left hospitals overwhelmed amid fear and insecurity, remains the deadliest since armed groups started increasing their presence in the country in 2015.
