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WORLD NEWSTuesday 22 September 2015

Burkina Faso coup leader says he will hand back power

Gen. Gilbert Diendere, left, who was named leader of Burkina Faso on Thursday, speaks to of the National Armed massive street protests that
media in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Diendere apologized to the nation Monday and said he Forces warned that troops led to his ouster.
would hand over control to a civilian transitional government after the military warned that its would disarm the presiden- The mediators led by the
forces would converge on the capital and forcibly disarm the soldiers behind the power grab. tial guard. While they said presidents of Senegal and
soldiers aimed to do so Benin announced a plan
(AP Photo/Theo Renaut) without spilling blood, the late Sunday that calls for
ultimatum raised the spec- new elections by the end
B. OUEDRAOGO behind the power grab. terms. ter of clashes on the streets of November. The plan
Associated Press Gen. Gilbert Diendere said Diendere, who led the pres- of Ouagadougou. drafted by mediators is
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina his presidential guard unit idential guard under long- “We demand that they supposed to go before the
Faso (AP) — The Burkina “confirms our commitment time leader Blaise Com- put down their weapons West African regional bloc
Faso general who seized to giving power back to paore until he was forced and rejoin Camp Sangoule known as ECOWAS in Nige-
power in a coup last week civilian authorities.” That from power in a popular Lamizana,” the statement ria on Tuesday.
apologized to the nation was one of the key condi- uprising last year, said the said, promising that the The streets of Ouagadou-
Monday and said he would tions of a draft agreement compromises were neces- returning soldiers and their gou remained tense Mon-
hand over control to a civil- that resulted from week- sary to avoid further blood- families would be protect- day, and many demon-
ian transitional government end negotiations with re- shed. The risk of clashes ed. strators said they felt the
after the military warned gional mediators, but it had could lead to “chaos, civil People gathered at sunset ECOWAS compromise plan
that its forces would con- been unclear until his an- war and massive human cheering on the highway was too lenient on the jun-
verge on the capital and nouncement whether the rights violations,” he said. as they waited for the an- ta.
forcibly disarm the soldiers junta would abide by those Earlier Monday, the heads ticipated entry of Burkina France, meanwhile, sus-
Faso’s regular army, who pended all military, civilian
vowed to disarm the presi- and financial cooperation
dential guard known as the with Burkina Faso until civil-
RSP. ian authority is restored.
The soldiers who seized French President Francois
power last week are seen Hollande announced the
as loyal to ex-President suspension in a statement.
Blaise Compaore. Diende- He also threatened sanc-
re, the general installed as tions against anyone who
president Thursday, is a for- opposes democratic elec-
mer top aide to the ousted tions, saying he would lob-
leader. by European partners to do
Junta members said they the same.
were angered that mem- Hollande spoke Monday
bers of Compaore’s for- with Senegalese President
mer ruling party couldn’t Macky Sall about West Af-
take part in elections that rican regional efforts to re-
were set for Oct. 11. Com- store calm in Burkina Faso,
paore was president for 27 a former French colony that
years, and his bid to further maintains commercial and
extend his rule prompted military ties with France. q

Nigerian official: 54 die in blasts in Borno state capital

HARUNA UMAR in an attack on a mosque ket place and two home- night. gerian military recaptured
JOSSY OLA and 11 were killed in an at- made explosives were The number wounded from territory once held by the
Associated Press tack on a market center, thrown into a business cen- the blasts was still not avail- militants.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Sus- said the civilian defense ter where people charge able, said Lt.Col. Tukuru Military spokesman Col.
pected Islamic extremists force members, who in- their phones and play vid- Gusau, the army spokes- Sani Kukasheka Usman
killed at least 54 people sisted anonymity for fear of eo games, said a member man for the 7th Division said the attacks signify the
when they detonated ex- reprisals from the Nigerian of the civilian militia. based in Maiduguri. increasing desperation of
plosive devices in crowded military which has been de- The blasts occurred within No group has claimed re- Boko Haram.
places Sunday night in Mai- ployed to guard civilians in 20 minutes, he said. sponsibility for the attack, At least 20,000 people
duguri the capital of the the town. A dusk till dawn curfew in but the initial suspicion has have been killed in Boko
northeastern state of Bor- There were four explo- Maiduguri limits the flow of fallen on the Islamic ex- Haram’s six-year-old upris-
no, members of civilian de- sions in the attacks one in information as journalists tremist group Boko Haram, ing which has displaced 2.1
fense group said Monday. a Mosque after evening fear of getting attacked by which has resorted to hit- million people across three
Forty-three people died prayers, another at a mar- the militants or the army at and-run tactics after the Ni- countries.q