Burkina Faso's army captured five members of the ex-presidential guards suspected of raiding an armory. One of the suspects was killed by government authorities when he tried to engage near the border of Ghana.
ABC News reported that army spokesman Captain Aziz Ouedroaogo said they were pursuing seven more soldiers connected to the raid of an armory near the capital Ouagadougou last Friday. Officials haven't released official reports on how many weapons were taken during the raid. However, there are reports that several Kalashnikov rifles and anti-tank rocket launchers were lost. The soldiers were presidential guards who were loyal to former president Blaise Compaore, who was ousted during the 2014 uprising.
The Miami Herald wrote that the armory raid comes a week after Islamic extremists attacked a cafe and hotel in Ouagaougou that is famous among foreigners. Thirty people, most of them foreigners, were killed during that attack in the West African country.
Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the authorities already captured members from the disbanded ex-presidential guards. The Blaise Compaore loyalist soldiers were disbanded after their members staged a six-day coupe against the transitional government September last year. During the coup, members of the cabinet were captured and taken hostage. The soldiers handed power back to the government after strong international pressure.
The head of Compaore's Congress for Democracy and Progress, Eddie Komboigo was also arrested last Saturday. It is not yet clear under what charges was he arrested on, but he has been under investigation since the September coup.
The raid last Friday was the first time the ex-presidential guards carried out an attack since its September coup attempt. Burkina Faso has been under political turmoil since 2014, when long time leader Campaore was ousted. Protests flared up against him as he tried to change the constitution to remain in power after ruling the country for 27 years. The transitional rule ended when Roch Marc Kabore became president November last year.
