Mutinous soldiers take over Burkina Faso military barracks

24/1/2022 6:54

        Mutinous soldiers seized control of a military base in Burkina Faso's capital Sunday, raising fears of a coup attempt in the West African nation as gunfire rang out for hours amid growing frustration with the government's handling of the Islamic insurgency.
        
        The apparent mutiny came one day after the latest public demonstration calling for President Roch Marc Christian Kabore's resignation.
        
        Security forces used tear gas to disperse crowds seeking to publicly support the mutineers.
        
        Crowds also vandalized a building occupied by the president's political party and set it on fire.
        
        Defense Minister Aime Barthelemy Simpore told state broadcaster RTB that a few barracks had been affected by unrest not only in the capital of Ouagadougou but in other cities too.
        
        He denied, however, that the president had been detained by the mutineers, even though Kabore's whereabouts remained unknown.