Felix Nkambeh Tih
September 18, 2015•Update: September 18, 2015
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso
The National Democratic Council, Burkina Faso’s new governing body, on Friday released former interim President Michel Kafando and other ministers held since Wednesday’s coup.
“As a sign of appeasement and of general interest, the National Democratic Council has decided to release Michel Kafando and [the] ministers,” General Gilbert Diendere, head of the military junta said in a statement.
The statement did not mention the fate of Prime Minister Isaac Zida. Well informed sources told Anadolu Agency that Zida has been put under house arrest.
Sources close to Kafando also said that the former president is “safe” and is also under house arrest, a point that the Junta’s statement did not mention.
The release come as Senegalese President Macky Sall is visiting Ouagadougou to attempt to solve the crisis.
At least three people have been killed and 60 injured in violence across the country.
Many journalists told Anadolu Agency that they have been threatened and prevented from doing their job, while some media premises were attacked and burned by armed men.
Radio Omega, one of the most popular radio stations in Burkina Faso, was shut down by members of the Presidential Security Regime (RSP), Alpha Barry, director of Omega FM, said.
Faced with these acts of violence, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African branch of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), warned the putschists against intimidations and attacks on the media in Burkina Faso.
