The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned against any military takeover in Burkina Faso, amid reports of a mutiny by a section of the army.
The West African bloc on Sunday expressed support for the Burkinabe government and called on the military to respect the country’s legitimate authority.
It followed reports of unrests in several military barracks across the country which prompted rumors of a possible coup.
“ECOWAS calls for calm and expresses solidarity with President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, the government and people of Burkina Faso,” a statement issued by the ECOWAS Commission said.
According to reports, heavy gunfire was heard at the Guillaume Ouédraogo and Sangoulé Lamizana military camps as well as at the air base in the capital, Ouagadougou. Gunfire was also reported in the city of Kaya in the North-Central part of the country.
It later emerged that soldiers dissatisfied with the government’s handling of the Islamist insurgency were behind the unrests. The group have since been reported issuing a series of demands, including provision of adequate resources to enable the military to respond to the insurgency.
Sunday’s incident was a spillover from mass protests earlier on Saturday, when security forces clashed with activists who had called for the protest to express disapproval of the government’s handling of the security situation.
The government had declared the protests illegal. Scores of properties were subsequently detained following the clashes.
Internet was shut across the country prior to the protests.
Other sources have linked the military’s unrests to the continued detention of soldiers accused of involvement in recent attempted coups against the government.
On Sunday protesters thought to be sympathizing with the mutinous soldiers reportedly set fire to the headquarters of the governing People’s Movement for Progress (MPP) party in the capital, destroying the ground floor of the building.
The government declared an overnight curfew nationwide, with the ministry of education ordering the closure of schools for Monday and Tuesday.
