Burkina Faso's army chief has taken power in the country following the resignation of longtime President Blaise Compaore. General Honore Traore told reporters Friday in Ouagadougou that he was taking on "the responsibilities as head of state."
Traore said his administration would begin talks with political
stakeholders immediately with a view to restoring "normal constitutional
order." The general first exerted power Thursday when he announced plans for a
transitional government and ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew after violent
protests in the capital against Compaore.
Compaore announced his resignation Friday and called for a 90-day transition leading to elections. Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, said the secretary-general was following Burkina Faso
developments with "great concern" and was urging "calm, restraint and
dialogue." Dujarric said the U.N. special envoy for West Africa, Mohammed Ibn
Chambas, had arrived in Ouagadougou as part of a joint mission that
includes the president of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African
States) and the African Union commissioner for political affairs.
Chambas is expected to meet with all political stakeholders as well as religious and traditional leaders. Former colonial power France quickly said it welcomed Compaore's
resignation. It called for calm in the West African nation and said it
supported the "rapid holding of democratic elections." Burkina 24 television reported that the former president left his palace in a heavily armed convoy.
Compaore ruled Burkina Faso for 27 years after seizing power in a 1987 coup. Unrest broke out Thursday as lawmakers prepared to vote on a
constitutional amendment that would have allowed Compaore to run for
another term. The government withdrew the amendment after hundreds of
protesters stormed and set fire to the parliament building.
More protesters gathered in the streets of Ouagadougou on Friday, but there was no repeat of Thursday's violence.
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