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Army chief takes power after Burkina president bows to protests

01 November 2014 00:53 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The head of Burkina Faso's armed forces took power on Friday after President Blaise Compaore resigned amid mass protests against an attempt to extend his 27-year rule, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Compaore, a taciturn former soldier in office since a 1987 military coup, had sought to defy popular pressure for him to step down after a day of violent unrest on Thursday in which demonstrators stormed parliament and state television.

Impoverished Burkina Faso under Compaore had emerged as a key mediator in the turbulent Sahel and his departure robs the region of an elder statesman -- though one whose rights record was often criticized.

The landlocked nation is also a key ally in Western operations against al Qaeda-linked groups in West Africa and the crisis was being closely watched by the United States and France, which has a special forces base there.

Demonstrations erupted on Thursday when parliament had been due to vote on plans to change the constitution to allow Compaore to seek reelection next year. At least three people were shot dead and dozens wounded.

With hundreds of thousands packing the Place de la Nation in the capital Ouagadougou for a second day on Friday, and with no sign of international support -- particularly from former colonial power France -- Compaore bowed to public pressure.

"I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should end with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days," Compaore said in a written statement read by presenters on local radio and television.