DEPOSED BURKINA FASO PRESIDENT IN IVORY COAST

Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, 8 Muharram 1436/1 November 2014 (MINA) – Burkina Faso’s deposed president, Blaise Compaore, has reportedly arrived in the neighbouring Ivory Coast, less than 24 hours after being forced from power.

Compaore, who resigned on Friday amid mass protests against his 27-year rule, arrived in the capital Yamoussoukro on Saturday with his family, Al Jazeera quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

“The services of the President hotel in Yamoussoukro served him [Compaore] dinner yesterday [Friday] and breakfast this morning [Saturday],” a hotel employee told the AFP news agency.

A local resident told the AFP he saw “a long cortege of around 30 cars going in the direction of the villa,” which is used as a semi-official residence for foreign dignitaries.

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An army general and a colonel have both announced they will lead a transition to democracy after Compaore was pushed out.

Colonel Yacouba Zida said in a recorded address posted early on Saturday on the website of a national television station that he was filling the vacuum.

“While we wait to define in a consensual manner, with all of the political parties and civil society organisations, the contours and composition of this peaceful democratic transition,” Zida said. “I will henceforth assume, from today, the responsibilities of the head of this transition and the head of state.”

The announcement came just hours after General Honore Traore, the joint chief of staff, and Compaore loyalist, made the same declaration.

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It was not immediately clear if Traore accepted Zida’s announcement on Saturday.

When he resigned, Compaore had said a vote would be held in 90 days, but Zida said the “length and make-up of the transitional body will be decided later”.

Jen Psaki, spokesperson for the US State Department, called for democratic elections.

“We condemn any attempts by the military or other parties to take advantage of the situation for unconstitutional gain and call on all parties to respect the people’s support for the democratic process,” she said in a statement released late on Friday.

Compaore stepped down after protesters stormed the country’s parliament and set it on fire as he was seeking to pass a vote that would allow his re-election for the fifth term. (T/P001/R03)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)