The head of the military junta that took power in Burkina Faso last January, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, has been relieved of his duties by the army in a new coup. The military reported this in a televised statement. The coup leaders also announced the closure of land and air borders from midnight, the suspension of the Constitution and the dissolution of the government.
Fifteen uniformed soldiers appeared on television, read the statement and proclaimed Captain Ibrahim Traore as the new leader of the African country. “We have decided to assume our responsibilities, guided by a single ideal: the restoration of the security and integrity of their territory,” said the coup leaders, announcing a curfew from 21:00 to 05:00. In the past few hours, gunshots had been heard and the government had spoken of an “internal crisis” in the army to explain the deployment of troops in some critical areas of the capital.