Several thousand people gathered in the capital of Burkina Faso on
Sunday to protest at the army's power grab after the turbulent ouster
of president Blaise Compaore, as the international community demanded
the military hand over to civilian rule.
Mediators brandished the threat of sanctions if the army in the
impoverished west African state refused to back down.
"We call on the military to immediately transfer power to civilian
authorities," the US State Department said after the army on Saturday
declared military rule.
The UN envoy for west Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, told a news
conference in the Burkinabe capital that he and African leaders had
pressed the demand in a meeting with the country's top military brass.
If the army refuses, "the consequences are pretty clear," he said. "We
want to avoid having to impose sanctions on Burkina Faso."
The military stepped into the power vacuum left after long-standing
ruler Compaore stepped down Friday following violent street
demonstrations that some have likened to the Arab Spring.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters, furious at plans to extend
Compaore's 27-year rule, massed on the streets of Ouagadougou on
Thursday, some going on the rampage and setting parliament and other
public buildings ablaze.
Under Burkina Faso's constitution, the speaker of parliament was
supposed to step in as interim head of state following the president's
resignation.
- 'Zida go!' -
But the army instead named the second-in-command of the presidential
guard, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida, as the head of the transitional
authority.
Zida said he was appointed to ensure a "smooth democratic transition"
in the landlocked country and promised to consult with the political
opposition and civil leaders.
But several thousand people joined a march against the military on
Sunday after a call for action by the opposition and civil society
leaders.
"No to the theft of our victory, long live the people!" said one
banner. "Zida go!" "Zida is Judas."
The mediators from the United Nations, the African Union and the
Economic Community of West African States told Zida and other military
leaders that civilian rule needed to be restored.
They "assured us that they had well understood the message," Chambas said.
But US State Department spokeswoman Jan Psaki voiced international
mistrust at the army's move, saying the United States condemned the
its attempt to "impose its will" on the people of Burkina Faso.
"We urge civilian leadership to be guided by the spirit of the
constitution of Burkina Faso and to move immediately towards free and
fair presidential elections," she said in a statement.
- Protesters gather -
Opposition figures have said around 30 people were killed in
Thursday's violence that hit the capital and at least one other city.
AFP could confirm only four deaths.
Opposition and activist leaders had issued a statement after the army
takeover demanding a "democratic and civilian transition" in the
country of nearly 17 million people.
"The task of managing the transition falls by right to the people. In
no case can it be confiscated by the army," the statement said.
Compaore and his wife have taken refuge in neighbouring Ivory Coast,
after driving south out of their country in what one security source
said was a convoy of 27 vehicles.
Ivory Coast's presidency and state media confirmed the ex-leader's presence.
Compaore was being put up in a luxury government mansion in the
capital Yamoussoukro. An AFP reporter outside the iron-gated property
spotted no movement inside, but an employee at a nearby upmarket hotel
confirmed he had served the Compaores dinner and breakfast in the
mansion.
- Worst crisis in decades -
The crisis in Burkina Faso -- known as Upper Volta in its era as a
French colony before becoming independent in 1960 and changing its
name in 1984 -- is the worst since a wave of unrest three years ago.
From March to June 2011, a wave of army mutinies swept the country,
alongside public protests over high food prices, unemployment and the
looting of property by troops.
Compaore was only 36 when he seized power in a 1987 coup in which his
former friend and one of Africa's most loved leaders, Thomas Sankara,
was ousted and assassinated.
In the manner of a number of sub-Saharan African leaders, he clung to
power for the decades following, being re-elected president four times
since 1991.
The uprising that finally forced him out was sparked by plans to
change the constitution to allow Compaore to stand yet again for
elections next year.
He leaves bitter disillusionment behind, however. Burkina Faso
languishes at 181 out of 187 countries on the UN Human Development
Index.
