Thousands gathered on Sunday in the centre of Burkina Faso’s capital to denounce what they called a military coup, two days after mass protests forced President Blaise Compaore to resign.
Compaore’s 27 years in charge of the landlocked West African country ended on Friday when his bid to change the constitution to extend his rule was thwarted.
A power struggle ensued and on Saturday Presidential Guard commander Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida was appointed as transitional leader, superseding an earlier claim by the army chief of staff.
In Ouagadougou’s Place de La Nation on Sunday, opposition leaders denounced the power grab to the assembled crowds, while a UN official warned of possible sanctions if Zida obstructed a return to civilian rule.
The central square was the site of the violent demonstrations against Compaore, in which three people were killed and the parliament set ablaze.
On Sunday those gathered there turned their anger against Zida, a large bespectacled man little known outside military circles whose trademark is a red beret.
One citizen carried a placard saying “Zida = Judas” while another said “Zida - get out of here.”
“They are coming from Kossyam to enslave us,” said protestor Sanou Eric, in a reference to the Presidential Palace. “This is a coup d’etat. Zida has come out of nowhere.”
“I am here to stop the army from stealing our victory,” said another protestor, Boubacar Sow.
