Burkina army hunts last coup troops

OUAGADOUGOU

Burkina troops were Wednesday hunting the remaining guards behind a coup a day after storming their barracks as the European Union (EU) hailed the end of the unrest and urged speedy elections.

Tuesday night’s raid saw troops in the capital Ouagadougou firing heavy weaponry at the barracks of the elite presidential guard (RSP) who staged an abortive coup on September 17.

Although the unit formally abandoned their coup efforts last week — allowing the interim leadership to resume office — they refused to disarm under the terms of a peace deal, creating fresh tension with the military which came to a head late on Tuesday.

By Wednesday morning, it was still unclear if anyone had been killed or wounded in the assault.

The European Union hailed the end of the standoff, urging the government to quickly hold elections.

“The end of the clashes is an important step towards normalising the situation in Burkina Faso,” the EU’s foreign affairs arm observed in a statement.

“The first task now is to organise as quickly as possible, credible, transparent and free elections,” it said.

The attempted coup took place just weeks before the landlocked west African nation was to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since veteran strongman Blaise Compaore was ousted in October 2014.

The first round of voting was to have taken place on October 11, although officials have said there will be a delay of several weeks due to the crisis.

By Wednesday morning, many soldiers had fanned out on the streets of the capital’s Ouaga 2000 district, where the presidency and the RSP’s sprawling military barracks are located, an AFP correspondent said.

Marksmen could be seen in position, their weapons pointed towards open areas as they scanned the horizon for missing guards from the elite unit, which counts 1,300 men.