Violence struck Burkina Faso’s capital after protestors and a group of soldiers mounted a coup and announced on state television it overthrew its president.
Flanked by several soldiers, made the announcement Friday night that Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba was overthrown — just under nine months after he led a coup also in the West African country. Damiba overthrew the democratically-elected president in January.
Capt. Ibrahim Traore was announced as the country’s new leader. Damiba’s whereabouts were still unknown Saturday.
Traore reportedly said the militants did not seek to harm Damiba, and are working on behalf Burkina Faso.
The group says its coup is a response to a lax intervention from the government to address increasing violence in the country by Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda.
The international community decried the latest coup in Burkina Faso, and some have expressed concern the group may reach out to Russian mercenaries for support in gaining control of the country.
Protestors were seen in the streets of the capital waving Russian, and many had attacked the French embassy on Saturday.
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Saturday that the U.S. “is deeply concerned by events in Burkina Faso,” reported the Associated Press.
More about the coup in Burkina Faso can be found here.
