Burkina Faso: Military Forces Confirm Coup D'État

Captain Sidsoré Kader Ouedraogo, a spokesman for the junta, disclosed that Burkina Faso is under military takeover. Army forces stated that President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré dissolved the Burkanian government and the country's constitution, the national borders have been closed as well.

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The announcement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was released after Burkina Faso faced hours of disorder caused by gunfire which erupted on Sunday night at army camps in the capital Ouagadougou. The location of President Kaboré has been unknown since Sunday when he was last seen.

The statement disclosed that the military takeover has been carried out as peacefully as possible and underlined that the detained were held in a secure location. The document was issued by the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR, French acronym), an unknown entity before the attempted coup.

"MPSR, which includes all sections of the army, has decided to end President Kaboré's post today," it reads. The announcement noted the deterioration of the security sector and described it as the President's inability to unite the nation and effectively respond to the challenges it faces.

MPSR's statement said they would reestablish the "constitutional order" in a "reasonable time," adding that a night curfew would be applied across the nation.

Kabore's party disclosed the President had survived an assassination attempt; they did not give further details. As the contradictory reports on Kabore's whereabouts remained, Joseph Borrell, EU foreign policy chief, issued a statement saying: "We now know that President Kabore is under the control of the military."

The African Union and the West African bloc ECOWAS condemned the attempted coup. At the time, UN chief Antonio Guterres stated that he "strongly condemns any attempted takeover of government by the force of arms," labeling the events as a "coup."

All the organizations condemning Burkina Faso's coup have called for the "immediate release" of the Burkanian President.