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General Gilbert Diendéré

OUAGADOUGOU. — Burkina Faso’s transition government announced yesterday that it had taken control of the camps initially occupied by former coup plotters after the attack that began on Tuesday night.

“One-by-one, the places or camps occupied by members of the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP), especially Naaba Koom camp, have been liberated by the regular army after the attack,” a statement by the country’s news agency said.

The government further noted that the death toll from the operations will soon be revealed. While congratulating the Burkinabe people for their unrelenting mobilisation since the start of the crisis, and the regular army for its professionalism and patriotic behaviour, the government reiterated its appeal for tolerance towards former RSP soldiers who have surrendered their weapons. A security source that spoke to Xinhua after the attack said the former coup leader, Gen. Gilbert Diendere was turned away when he tried to seek refuge at the US Embassy in Ouagadougou.

He was later said to have taken refuge at the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican’s Embassy) in the Burkinabe capital.

On Tuesday evening, Diendere had urged his officers to surrender their weapons to authorities, and reiterated he was ready to face justice. — Xinhua.