Eight soldiers arrested in Burkina Faso over ‘coup plot’
The military said the eight were attempting to , “destabilise the institutions of the republic,” according to a statement.
CAPE TOWN, January 12 (ANA) – The authorities in the West African country of Burkina Faso have announced the arrest of eight soldiers who are accused of plotting a coup.
According to local media on Tuesday, among those arrested is Colonel Mohamed Emmanuel Zoungrana, a well-known former army commander who has reportedly been critical of the Burkinabé government.
The military said the eight were attempting to , “destabilise the institutions of the republic,” according to a statement.
The justice ministry on Tuesday said an investigation on the matter had started.
The last coup in Burkina Faso occurred in 2015 when the military announced the dissolution of the country’s transitional government, a day after presidential guards arrested the interim president, Michel Kafando and prime minister, Yacouba Zida, according to Nigerian news media outlet The Cable.
Furthermore, this latest attempt by armed military forces to overtake a government in Western Africa is the fourth such attempt in the region.
In August 2020, Ibrahim Keita, president of Mali, was deposed in a coup.
In September 2021, Alpha Conde, Guinea president, was ousted from office and detained by military forces led by Mamady Doumbouya.
On October 25, 2021, the Sudanese military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, took control of the government in a military coup.
The last coup in Burkina Faso took place seven years ago, in September 2015, when a controversial military unit loyal to the ousted and exiled President, Blaise Compaoré, seized power, according to BBC News Africa.
The current leader, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, made significant changes to the government last month at a time while under pressure to counter frequent attacks by Islamist militants.
African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay
