Protesters set alight French embassy in Burkina Faso

Protesters have attacked the French embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital after supporters of the new coup leader accused France of harbouring the ousted interim president, Paul-Henri Damiba, as Burkina Faso experiences its second military takeover in eight months.

French authorities have denied these allegations, saying that they are not harbouring or protecting Damiba.
Hundreds of citizens, some waving Russian flags and those supporting Burkina Faso’s self-declared military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore, gathered in protest in front of the French embassy on Saturday and Sunday throwing stones and burning tires and debris on Saturday and early on Sunday.

Security forces used tear gas against protesters outside the French embassy after Burkina Faso’s leader was ousted on Friday, Politico reported.

Traore has accepted a conditional resignation offered by Damiba to avoid further violence after Friday’s coup.
After heavy gunfire was heard around the capital on Friday, Traore, in a statement broadcast late that day, announced the suspension of the constitution and the charter of the transition, and the dissolution of the government of transition. He also imposed a curfew from 9pm to 5am. A close family member told Reuters on Saturday that the ousted president had left the country on Sunday.

Gunfire rang out across Burkina Faso’s capital on Saturday and a fire broke out at the French embassy as Traore accused Damiba of staging a counter-offensive after being ousted, a Reuters report said.