Zida 'Burkina Faso head of state'
- 9 years ago
ROUGH CUT, NO REPORTER NARRATION
Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida said on Saturday (November 1) he was taking over as head of state in Burkina Faso, in an apparent push against the military chief of staff Honore Traore who had earlier said he would lead a transition.
Burkina Faso's longtime President Blaise Compaore had resigned on Friday (October 31) amid mass protests against his efforts to extend his 27-year rule, leaving two military factions vying for control of the West African country.
Zida's statement, broadcast on Radio Omega FM, came after a resident living near the presidential palace in Ouagadougou reported hearing several minutes of heavy gunfire in the early hours of Saturday.
The whereabouts of Traore was not immediately clear. He had announced that he would take over the presidency at a news conference shortly after Compaore's resignation on Friday, but had not appeared publicly since then.
Many of the tens of thousands of protesters who pack
Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida said on Saturday (November 1) he was taking over as head of state in Burkina Faso, in an apparent push against the military chief of staff Honore Traore who had earlier said he would lead a transition.
Burkina Faso's longtime President Blaise Compaore had resigned on Friday (October 31) amid mass protests against his efforts to extend his 27-year rule, leaving two military factions vying for control of the West African country.
Zida's statement, broadcast on Radio Omega FM, came after a resident living near the presidential palace in Ouagadougou reported hearing several minutes of heavy gunfire in the early hours of Saturday.
The whereabouts of Traore was not immediately clear. He had announced that he would take over the presidency at a news conference shortly after Compaore's resignation on Friday, but had not appeared publicly since then.
Many of the tens of thousands of protesters who pack