Several armored vehicles of the presidential fleet, stained with blood and riddled with bullets, could be seen near the president’s residence on Monday morning after reports emerged that Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore had been detained at a military camp by mutinying soldiers.
It was not immediately clear if Kabore was in the vehicle when the attack took place but residents of the president’s neighborhood reported heavy gunfire overnight.
Kabore’s detention was reported by two security sources and a West African diplomat said on Monday, following heavy gunfire around his residence on Sunday night in the capital of Ouagadougou.
The government had denied rumors on Sunday that a coup was underway as sustained gunfire rang out for hours from several military camps, with mutinying soldiers demanding more support for their fight against militants.
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Government sources could not immediately be reached on Monday. Frustration has risen in the West African country in recent months due to the frequent killing of civilians and soldiers by the militants, some of whom have links to Daesh and al-Qaeda.
Protesters had come out to support the mutineers on Sunday and ransacked the headquarters of Kabore’s political party. The government declared a curfew from 2000 GMT to 0530 GMT until further notice and closed schools for two days.
