Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] In the early hours of Sunday morning, gunfire erupted from several military camps in Burkina Faso, the government said, but denied that the military had taken over. Heavy weapons shelling of the Sangul-Lamizana camp in the capital Ouagadougou, which hosts the army's general headquarters and a prison that houses soldiers involved in the failed 2015 coup attempt, began at least at 5:00 am (midnight ET) , according to a Reuters reporter.
The reporter later saw soldiers firing into the air in the camp. The witness also reported shooting at a military camp in Kaya, about 100 kilometers north of Ouagadougou.
The government of Burkina Faso has confirmed shootings in some military camps, but has denied reports on social media that the army has taken over.
“Information on social networks testifies to the seizure of territory by the army. The government, while confirming the exchange of fire in some barracks, refutes this information and urges the population to remain calm,” government spokesman Alkassum Maigi said in a statement.
Governments in West and Central Africa are on high alert for coups following successful coups over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea. The military also came to power in Chad last year after President Idriss Déby died on the battlefield.
Earlier this month, Burkinabé authorities arrested a dozen soldiers on suspicion of plotting against the government.
The arrests followed a military leadership reshuffle in December, which some analysts saw as an attempt by President Rocha Kabore to solidify his support for the military.
An increase in violence in the West African country by Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has killed more than 2,000 people in the past year, sparking violent street protests in November calling for Kabore to step down.
More demonstrations were planned for Saturday, but the government banned them and the police intervened to disperse hundreds of people trying to gather in Ouagadougou.
The government has suspended mobile internet several times, and a tense situation in November led the UN Special Envoy to West Africa to warn against any military coup.
Among the inmates at the Sangoulé Lamizana camp prison is General Gilbert Diendere, who was a major ally of former Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore. Compaore was overthrown in the 2014 uprising.
Internet outages continue in the country's capital.
Conflicting reports continue to come in about what is happening, from the government's complete control of the situation to the complete success of the military coup. In general, let's wait for the result of the coup.
If the government retains control over the situation, the country will remain in the French sphere of influence for the time being. If it doesn’t, then it cannot be ruled out that the next film from the Tourist franchise will be made about Burkina Faso.
I wonder what the military in Niger thinks. Still, there are uranium mines in the country ...
| Al Ahram adds: |
A news headline on the state broadcaster described the gunfire as ``acts of discontent by soldiers.''
``The military hierarchy is working to restore calm and serenity in the barracks,'' it read. ``Contrary to some information, no institution of the republic has been targeted.''
At the Lamizana Sangoule military barracks, however, angry soldiers shot into the air Sunday, directing their anger over army casualties at the president.
About 100 cycle of violences later left the base, chanting in support of the mutineers, but were stopped when security forces deployed tear gas.
The soldiers put a man on the phone with The News Agency that Dare Not be Named who said that they were seeking better working conditions for Burkina Faso
...The country in west Africa that they put where Upper Volta used to be. Its capital is Oogadooga, or something like that. Its president is currently Blaise Compaoré, who took office in 1987 and will leave office feet first, one way or the other...
's military amid the escalating fight against Islamic krazed killers.
Among their demands are increased manpower in the battle against bully boys, and better care for those maimed and the families of the dead. The mutinous soldiers also want the military and intelligence hierarchy replaced, he said.
The gunfire comes a day after protesters demanded his resignation at a demonstration in Ouagadougou. Kabore has faced growing opposition since his reelection in November 2020. Last month he fired his prime minister and replaced most of the Cabinet.
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