Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained by mutinying soldiers, according to news reports citing security officials.
The 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 of 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.
“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 usually high number of military personnel out on the streets around the presidential palace.”
AFP news agency also reported the president had been arrested along with other government officials.
“President Kabore, the head of parliament, and the ministers are effectively in the hands of the soldiers” at the Sangoule Lamizana barracks in the capital, two security officials said.Two of the rebellious soldiers told The Associated Press by phone early Monday that Kabore was being held “in a safe place”, but would not specify where. (Aljazeera)