There was a coup in Burkina Faso on Thursday morning.

The country’s army has taken over government and have detained interim President, Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Yacouba Zida.

Here’s everything you should know about the coup:

-The transitional government came into power after Blaise Campaore was overthrown with the help of a public uprising, in late 2014 after 27 years as leader of Burkina Faso.

-Members of the military showed up at the presidential offices on Wednesday, September 16, and barred the transitional leaders from leaving the premises.

-Soldiers detained Burkina Faso’s transitional president, prime minister, Yacouba Isaac Zida, and an unknown number of cabinet members.

-Interim parliament speaker Cheriff Sy told French radio station RFI that a coup was clearly in progress, and called on the people to rise up in protest and defence of their nation’s democracy.

-On Thursday morning, Burkina Faso’s presidential guard announced that they had dissolved the country’s political institutions and set up a ‘National Democratic Council’ to end the ‘Deviant Regime’ in the country.
-Lieutenant-Colonel Mamadou Bamba appeared on national television to declare that the military had seized the country’s president and government leaders and was in control of the country.

-Lt-Col Bamba said wide-ranging talks were being held to form a new interim government that would organise “peaceful and inclusive elections”.
-Shortly after, incidents of gunfire was reported on the streets of Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso.

-The national elections of Burkina Faso, is scheduled to hold in a few weeks.
-The U.N. Security Council has unanimously demanded the immediate release of the president, prime minister and others being held hostage in Burkina Faso by members of the presidential guard.

Janeth J