Shots were heard late on Sunday near the home of Burkina Faso’s president after soldiers staged mutinies at several barracks to demand the sacking of the country’s military leaders and more resources for the battle against Islamist insurgents.
Residents also reported seeing a helicopter above the private residence of Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in the capital, Ouagadougou.
It followed gunfire earlier on Sunday at several army bases, prompting fears of yet another coup in the West African country.
Photo: AFP
Demonstrators protesting over the government’s handling of an extremist threat also set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party.
However, the government quickly denied rumors of a coup, and a list of demands presented by the rebellious troops made no mention of trying to oust Kabore, while emphasizing the need for a better strategy against the extremists.
“We want adequate resources for the battle” against Islamist extremists, a soldier from the Sangoule Lamizana Base in Ouagadougou told reporters in a voice recording.
The disaffected soldiers also wanted top generals to be “replaced,” better care for wounded troops and more support for the families of soldiers killed in battle, the spokesman for the mutinous troops added in the anonymous recording.
The authorities declared an overnight curfew from 8pm on Sunday “until further notice,” and the Burkinabe Ministry of Education said that schools would be closed yesterday and today across the country.
The unrest comes a little more than a week after 12 people, including a senior army officer, were arrested on suspicion of planning to “destabilize” Burkina’s institutions.
It also comes a day after police used tear gas to disperse banned rallies, arresting dozens.
Residents in the Gounghin District — where the Sangoule Lamizana Base is — reported seeing soldiers firing in the air and sealing off the area around the barracks.
Shots were also heard at the Baby Sy Barracks in the south of the capital, as well as at an air base near the airport, which was also surrounded by soldiers wearing balaclavas, witnesses said.
There was also gunfire at bases in the northern towns of Kaya and Ouahigouya, residents told reporters, and mobile Internet services were cut.
The government moved quickly to try to restore control.
“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.”
Burkinabe Minister of Defense General Barthelemy Simpore said on nationwide TV that “none of the republic’s institutions has been troubled” by the revolt.
Simpore added that there were “localized, limited” incidents “in a few barracks,” and that he was investigating.
Police fired tear gas to break up a rally by about 100 people who gathered at a square in central Ouagadougou to show support for the mutiny, a reporter said.
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