Gunfire heard in Burkina Faso, sparking fears of new coup

By ARSENE KABORE and SAM MEDNICK
Associated Press

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Residents in the capital of Burkina Faso say gunfire rang out early in the morning and the state broadcaster has gone off the air, fueling fears that another coup is underway. The uncertainty carried on into the late afternoon in the West African nation. The United Nations voiced concern and called for calm. Friday’s developments come just after coup leader-turned-president Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba returned from a trip to the U.N. General Assembly. Damiba seized power in January, overthrowing Burkina Faso’s democratically elected president. He has faced mounting criticism over the unabated attacks by Islamic extremists, which had led to popular support for his takeover. Damiba had recently fired the defense minister and named himself to the position.