Burkina Faso confirmed on Thursday that four officers have been placed under arrest, following the military government’s announcement of foiling a coup attempt just a day before.
Military prosecutor Ahmed Ferdinand Sountoura, in a statement seen by AFP on Thursday, alleged that the four individuals are under suspicion for their involvement in a “conspiracy against state security.”
Two individuals, as mentioned in the statement, are currently on the run from law enforcement.
Late on Wednesday, the junta issued a statement, stating that the intelligence and security services had effectively countered a coup attempt that occurred the day before.
The military government has affirmed its dedication to unravelling every aspect of this plot through a comprehensive investigation.
It’s been nearly a year since Captain Ibrahim Traore, the junta leader, assumed power in the West African nation on September 30, 2022.
Read also: Burkina Faso’s Military Rulers Opens Up On Foiling Fresh Coup
His assumption of power marked the second coup in the nation within eight months, both influenced by discontent with the inability to counter a spreading jihadist insurgency that emanated from Mali in 2015.
The military prosecutor has urged anyone with information that can ‘contribute to the manifestation of the truth to come to testify’.
Late on Tuesday, thousands of people demonstrated on rhe streets of the capital Ouagadougou following a call from Traore supporters to “defend” him amid rumours of a coup on social media.
Traore posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday to express his ‘determination to lead the transition safely despite the adversity and different manoeuvres to stop our inexorable march towards assumed sovereignty’.
Burkina Faso temporarily suspended the activities of the French news source Jeune Afrique, which had reported on military tensions with two recent articles, on Monday.
According to the Burkinabe government, the news outlet was trying to “discredit” the military.
After Traore assumed control, military prosecutors announced in December 2022 that an alleged plot had been made to disrupt state institutions.
Not long ago, the nation’s military prosecutor revealed that three soldiers were in custody and had been charged with plotting against the ruling junta.