Breaking News: Burkina Faso Army Captain Overthrows Paul-Henri Damiba’s Military Government

Army Captain; Ibrahim Traore has overthrown Burkina Faso’s military leader; Paul-Henri Damiba and dissolved the government, according to Reuters.

The constitution and transitional charter have also been suspended after gunfire rang for hours in the early hours of the day.

In a statement read on national television on Friday evening, Traore said a group of officers had decided to remove Damiba due to his inability to deal with a worsening Islamist insurgency. He announced that borders were closed indefinitely and that all political and civil society activities were suspended.

It is the second takeover in eight months for the West African state. Damiba took power in a coup in January that ousted former President Roch Kabore, also due in part to frustration over the worsening insecurity.

Last week, Lt Col Damiba traveled to New York where he addressed the UN General Assembly, defending his January coup as “an issue of survival for our nation”, even if it was ”perhaps reprehensible” to the international community.