Ouagadougou (AFP) - Burkina Faso authorities on Saturday
froze the assets of General Gilbert Diendere, the leader of last week's failed
coup in the impoverished west African country.
State prosecutors said in a statement they were also
freezing the assets of 13 others involved in the putsch, as well those of four
political parties linked to ex-president Blaise Compaore, who was ousted in a
popular revolt last year.
The asset freezes comes a day after Burkina's interim
cabinet dissolved the elite presidential guard (RSP), which is loyal to
Compaore and whose officers detained interim President Michel Kafando and Prime
Minister Isaac Zida on September 16.
The unit declared a coup the following day and installed
Diendere, Compaore's former chief of staff, as the new leader.
But Diendere and his men stepped down a week later
following mediation brokered by the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) and under pressure from the regular army. Kafando was re-instated in a
ceremony on Wednesday.
At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured
in protests triggered by the coup, which came just weeks before the first
elections were scheduled to be held since Compaore's ouster after 27 years of
iron-fisted rule.
The interim government has indicated that the October 11
polls will likely have to be pushed back several weeks in the wake of the coup
chaos.
Diendere acknowledged midweek that the attempted
overthrow had been a "mistake" and did not enjoy popular backing.
Premier Zida has said the general will face justice over his actions.
Among those targeted by the asset freezes are Diendere's wife
Fatou Diallo Diendere, a former lawmaker in Compaore's CDP party, and Djibril
Bassole, a former foreign minister under Compaore who had already been excluded
from running in next month's polls.
No comments:
Post a Comment