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UN Security Council deplores coup d'etat in Burkina Faso

Xinhua, September 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Security Council on Thursday "condemned in the strongest terms" the unconstitutional and forceful seizure of power perpetrated on Sept. 16-17 by presidential guard against the transitional authorities of Burkina Faso.

The members of the Security Council released a statement Thursday night after hearing a briefing during the day by the Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, on the crisis in Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso's presidential guard unit, the former security team for ex-President Blaise Compaore, declared on Thursday it had taken over power in the country. On Wednesday, the guard unit burst into a cabinet meeting and arrested the interim president, prime minister and other leaders.

"They (members of the Security Council) reiterated their demand that President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida of Burkina Faso, as well as other officials detained, be released safely and immediately," said the statement.

They urged all actors to comply with the transitional calendar, notably the holding of free, fair and credible elections, scheduled for Oct. 11. They urged all actors in Burkina Faso to refrain from any violence, it said.

An election is due in less than a month to aim to complete a transition back to democracy after a popular uprising toppled former President Compaore last year.

The members of the Security Council underlined that the perpetrators of this unconstitutional and forceful seizure of power must be held accountable and, in this regard, expressed their readiness to monitor closely the situation and to consider further steps as necessary, according to the statement.

It was revealed that the guard unit was reacting to a report released two days ago by a reconciliation commission which called for its dissolution. Endi