Burkina Faso's army cleared thousands of protesters from the
capital and opened fire at state TV headquarters on Sunday, killing one person,
as it sought to restore order following the resignation of President Blaise
Compaore two days ago.
Compaore's 27 years in charge of the landlocked former
French colony ended abruptly on Friday after two days of mass protests aimed at
thwarting his bid to change the constitution to extend his rule.
The army then selected Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida as
transitional leader, overriding an earlier claim by the army chief of staff.
But on Sunday there were signs of discontent with the
appointment as thousands gathered in the capital Ouagadougou to demand a return
to civilian rule, in line with the West African country's constitution.
Witnesses said prominent opposition leader Saran Sereme and
an army general, along with a crowd of their supporters, headed to the RTB
Television site on Sunday afternoon to declare themselves in charge of the
transition but were thwarted by the army. Sereme denied this on local news
website Burkina 24, saying she was brought to the station by force.
Gunshots rang out at the station and the channel was taken
off the air for several hours. One person in the crowd was killed, an army spokesman
said, calling for calm.
"The army does not want power. But the anarchy needs to
stop. Any violation will be punished with the utmost energy," said Auguste
Barry, referring to the incident at the television station earlier in the day.
Shortly afterwards, presidential guards moved in to prevent
access to Ouagadougou's central Place de la Nation, the site of violent
demonstrations against Compaore last week in which three people were killed and
the parliament set ablaze.
[Reuters]
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