Burkina Faso: Coup Against the Coup

The military council in Burkina Faso announced on Wednesday that security forces and intelligence agencies had thwarted a coup attempt the previous day, without providing details on what transpired. In a statement, they mentioned that unnamed officers and others planned to destabilize the country "with malicious intent by attacking the institutions of the Republic and plunging our country into chaos." They added that some individuals have been arrested and searches are ongoing for others involved in the alleged plot. Hundreds of pro-military council protesters took to the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, on Tuesday to show their support, attributing their action to rumors of an imminent uprising against the authorities.