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Burkina Faso coup leaders assets frozen

September 27, 2015

Burkina Faso has frozen the financial and property assets of General Gilbert Diendere and 13 others suspected of links to last week's coup. The process of disarming the presidential guard has also begun.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GeAQ
Burkina Faso presidential guardsmen
Image: Reuters/J. Penney

State prosecutor Laurent Poda said assets will be frozen for three months for 14 individuals, including coup leader General Gilbert Diendere and his wife Fatou Diendere, a former member of parliament. They will be restricted to withdrawals of $512 (457 euros) each month.

The assets of four political parties linked to former President Blaise Compaore have also been frozen. He was ousted in a popular revolt in October last year. The measure was also applied to Djibril Bassole, a former foreign minister under Compaore, who had already been excluded from running in elections scheduled for October.

Burkina Faso's armed forces have started to disarm the 1,300 presidential guards who led the coup. The guard was set up by Compaore. Its members objected to the ban on Compaore supporters running in elections scheduled for October 11.

Burkina's interim cabinet dissolved the guard on Friday, because it had detained interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida on September 16.

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice congratulated the people of Burkina Faso "for their success in defending Burkinabe democracy and reinstating the transitional government."

In a statement issued on Saturday, Rice said "The success of the people of Burkina Faso in peacefully resisting the actions of a few who sought to undermine democracy is a reminder that ordinary citizens with the courage to speak out against injustices are the ultimate protectors of democratic governance."

The interim government has not set a date for rescheduled elections, but they are expected before the end of the year.

jm/lw (AP, AFP)