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burkina faso crisis

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Burkina Faso’s army has arrived in the country’s capital, Ouagadougou, seeking the surrender of coup leader, General Gilbert Diendere.

Negotiations between army chiefs and the presidential guard have stalled, a senior military officer said.

Troops are moving through the capital, as the deadline to Gen. Gilbert Diendere to surrender passed.

Gilbert Diendere staged a coup last week after opposing moves to integrate the presidential guard into the army.

He has released the president and the prime minister, following talks brokered by mediators.

The coup has been widely condemned, with the African Union suspending Burkina Faso’s membership.Burkina Faso army gives coup leader ultimatum

Gilbert Diendere says he will step aside once regional leaders, due to meet in Nigeria, endorse a peace plan, including an amnesty for coup plotters.

Burkina Faso’s PM Isaac Zida was captured by the presidential guard in last week’s coup.

France’s ambassador to Burkina Faso, Gilles Thibault, has also tweeted that interim President Michel Kafando, who was arrested on September 16, has been released from house arrest and is now at the ambassador’s residence.

Speaking from a secret location, Gen. Gilbert Diendere said: “Ready to surrender? We are not there yet… We wish to continue the discussions and we say to all that we are ready to implement Ecowas’ [West African regional group’s] decisions.”

He also apologized to the population, saying an apology was “the least we could do”.

The Ecowas plan should be discussed by West African heads of state in Nigeria on September 22.

The presidential guard is loyal to ousted President Blaise Compaore and installed Gen. Gilbert Diendere as the new leader last week.

Since then, at least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in clashes.

Burkina Faso’s army ordered the presidential guard to disarm before it marched on the capital.

“We must now secure the surrender of the [coup leaders] without gunfire or bloodshed,” Col. Serge Alain Ouedraogo, of the Burkinabe police, told AFP.

Ecowas’ plan includes the return to civilian government, an amnesty for the soldiers behind the coup and elections by the end of November.

Gilbert Diendere, who was the chief of staff to Blaise Compaore, led the coup a month before elections had been due in Burkina Faso.

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Burkina Faso’s opposition parties and civic groups have called a mass rally for Sunday, November 2, in protest at the army takeover after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore.

They said the management of the transition belonged to the people and should not be confiscated by the army.

The move came hours after the army said Lt-Col Isaac Zida, second-in-command of the presidential guard, had been chosen as the nation’s transitional leader.

Blaise Compaore has fled to Ivory Coast.

“The victory born from this popular uprising belongs to the people, and the task of managing the transition falls by right to the people,” opposition groups said in a statement.

“In no case can it be confiscated by the army.”

There were protests earlier this week after Blaise Compaore sought to amend the constitution and extend his long hold on the presidency.

Burkina Faso’s opposition parties and civic groups have called a mass rally in protest at the army takeover after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore

Burkina Faso’s opposition parties and civic groups have called a mass rally in protest at the army takeover after the resignation of President Blaise Compaore

On October 30, protesters set fire to parliament and government buildings in the capital Ouagadougou.

Under Burkina Faso’s new constitution, the president of the Senate should take over after the national president resigns, with elections taking place between 60 and 90 days afterwards.

The African Union (AU) has called for a “civilian-led transition” culminating as soon as possible in “the holding of free, fair and transparent elections”.

In a statement, AU chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma urged the military to “refrain from any acts or statements that may lead to further instability”.

The US state department urged an immediate transfer of power to civilian authorities in Burkina Faso and a move towards free and fair presidential elections.

The unveiling of Lt-Col. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as interim leader came after what analysts say was a 24-hour power struggle within the army.

The army statement’s was signed by army chief General Honore Traore, who had declared himself head of state in the immediate aftermath of President Blaise Compaore’s resignation.

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