Military junta takes over Burkina Faso

Roughly 100 soldiers said they have been planning a coup since August, citing the government’s inability to combat jihadist attacks and support the military. Troops took control of a major military barracks in the capital city of Ouagadougou on Sunday. Some civilians took to the streets to support the mutineers as gun battles raged. Insurgents said they detained President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, but the ruling party accused the soldiers of attempting an assassination. By the afternoon, Capt. Sidsore Kaber Ouedraogo declared military rule on state television and said leaders would create a calendar to hold new elections.

Where is the president? As of latest reports, the presidential palace is surrounded by “heavily armed and hooded men.” A post from the president’s Twitter account called for unity and told the military to step down, but it is not confirmed whether he posted it. A spokesman said the junta had detained leaders in “a safe place, with respect for their dignity.” If the military successfully removes Kaboré’s administration, it will be the eighth coup in Burkina Faso since 1960, the most of any African nation.

Dig deeper: Listen to Onize Ohikere report on increasing jihadist violence in Africa on The World and Everything in It podcast.