Burkina army imposes interim govt after crowd burns parliament (updated)

Renegade Gold

30/10/2014 20:41

* Tens of thousands mass outside presidential palace 
    * Military to issue statement, opposition hold talks 
    * Protests over plan to extend president's rule 
    * Emergency services say at least three protesters shot dead 
 
 (Recasts with state of emergency) 
    By Mathieu Bonkoungou and Joe Penney 
    OUAGADOUGOU, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's military 
dissolved parliament and announced a transitional government on 
Thursday after violent protests against President Blaise 
Compaore, but it was not immediately clear who was in charge. 
    Army chief General Honore Traore said the new government 
would be installed after consultation with all political parties 
and would lead the country to an election within 12 months. He 
also announced a curfew from 1900 to 0600 GMT.  
    The move came after tens of thousands of angry protesters 
packed the streets of Ouagadougou on Thursday to demand 
Compaore's departure, storming parliament and setting it on fire 
and ransacking state television.  
    At least three protesters were shot dead and scores wounded 
when security forces opened fire on the crowd.  
    "Given the need preserve the country from chaos and preserve 
national unity ... the National Assembly is dissolved, the 
government is dissolved," Traore told a news conference. 
    However, he declined to say whether Compaore, whose attempt 
to extend his 27-year rule has sparked months of tension in the 
landlocked country, remained the head of state.  
    Regional West African bloc ECOWAS had said earlier on 
Thursday that it would not accept any party seizing power 
through non-constitutional means - suggesting diplomatic 
pressure to leave Compaore in place.  
    Before the military's announcement, the president had issued 
his own statement announcing a state of emergency to be enforced 
by the army and calling for talks with the opposition. 
    The protests were sparked by the government's attempt to 
push a constitutional change through parliament to allow the 
63-year-old president to seek reelection next year. Large 
protests also erupted in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina's second 
biggest town, and Ouahigouya, in the north. 
     
    "BLAISE LEAVE" 
    In the capital, the crowd faced off with security forces 
outside the presidential palace in a tense standoff that lasted 
several hours as opposition leaders held talks with senior 
military officials in an attempt to ease Compaore from power.  
    Both opposition leaders and protesters on the streets have 
made it plain they would not allow any role for Compaore. 
Hundreds of angry protesters gathered outside the headquarters 
of the armed forces following the president's statement, many of 
them shouting "Blaise Leave" and "No More Blaise".      
    "We want Blaise Compaore to leave. We want change," said 
George Sawadogo, a 23-year-old student.     
    The departure of Compaore, a close military ally of the 
United States and former colonial power France, would be closely 
watched by other governments across West and Central Africa, 
where a number of long-serving leaders are reaching the end of 
their constitutional terms.  
    Burkina Faso is one of the world's poorest nations but has 
positioned itself as a mediator in regional crises. It is also a 
key ally in Western operations against al Qaeda-linked groups in 
West Africa. 
    Amid uncertainty over how the army's announcement would be 
received abroad, Ghana's Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh said in a 
tweet the country's embassy in Burkina confirmed a military 
takeover of power. She declined to provide further details. 
    White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan had earlier said 
in a statement that the United States was deeply concerned by 
the deteriorating situation in Burkina Faso and called on all 
parties to end the violence and respect democratic norms.  
    France, which has a special forces base there that conducts 
operations across the Sahel, also appealed for restraint by all 
sides. Its embassy had held talks with opposition leaders on 
Thursday.  
 
    CONCERN ABOUT PROSECUTION 
    Compaore has ruled the nation with a firm grip but has faced 
increasing criticism in recent years, including defections by 
members of his party. He weathered a military and popular 
uprising in 2011 thanks to the support of his elite presidential 
guard. 
    Diplomatic pressure had mounted over the past year for 
Compaore to step down in 2015, amid calls from his own entourage 
for him to seek re-election, diplomats said. 
    A letter from French President Francois Hollande to Compaore 
earlier this month, seen by Reuters, offered France's support in 
finding him a job with an international organisation. 
    Diplomats, however, say Compaore has been concerned at the 
possibility of losing his immunity from prosecution, 
particularly in the wake of the trial of former Liberian leader 
Charles Taylor in the Hague. 
    Burkina Faso's former president Thomas Sankara, a leftist 
leader dubbed Africa's Che Guevara, was killed in the coup that 
swept Compaore to power. Protesters in the streets of 
Ouagadougou waved photographs of Sankara and signs reading 
"Sankara look at your sons. We are fighting your fight." 
    At the headquarters of state television, which was forced 
off the air after the building was taken, jubilant protesters 
posed on the set of the evening news programme. 
    Burkina Faso, the fourth largest gold producer in Africa, 
has attracted several goldminers including TrueGold  TGV.M , 
IamGold  IMG.TO  and Randgold Resources  RRS.L . 
 
 (Additional reporting by Daniel Flynn, David Lewis and Bate 
Felix in Dakar, Joe Bavier and Ange Aboa in Abidjan, John Irish 
in Paris; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Tom Heneghan) 
 ((david.lewis2@thomsonreuters.com)(Dakar Newsroom +221 
338645076)(Reuters Messaging: 
david.lewis2.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.com)) 
 
Keywords: BURKINA POLITICS/