The military in Burkina Faso says it has seized power and overthrown President Roch Kaboré. The announcement was made on state television by an army officer, who cited the deteriorating security situation as the reason for the military takeover. Mr Kaboré had faced growing discontent over his failure to stem an Islamist insurgency. His whereabouts are unclear, but the officer said that all those detained were in a secure location. The coup comes a day after troops seized barracks, and gunshots were heard in the capital, Ouagadougou.
On Sunday, mutinying troops demanded the sacking of military chiefs and more resources to fight militants linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. The army statement said Mr Kaboré had failed to unite the nation and to deal effectively with the security crisis, which "threatens the very foundations of our nation."The statement was issued in the name of a group not heard of previously, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration. The statement said that parliament and the government had been dissolved, and the constitution suspended, but promised a "return to constitutional order" within a "reasonable time." The military also announced the closure of Burkina Faso's borders.
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