West African Presidents To Witness Formal Burkina Ceremony; More Negotiations Needed In Burkina Faso

West African heads of state met on Tuesday to discuss the Burkina Faso coup. AFP

The presidents of Niger and Ghana and the vice president of Nigeria have now landed in Burkina Faso. They're there to oversee the return to civilian rule and will witness a formal ceremony in which the interim President Michel Kafando will be reinstalled as head of state.

BBC reports getting more quotes from the statement made by Burkina Faso's interim President Kafando in which he said he is now in power.

"We are proud of the mobilization and fearlessness of the people of Burkina Faso, in particular of its youth, whose determination has stopped the [coup]. I salute the international community for having rejected unequivocally this action from a different time."

AFP

But Mr Kafando indicated that there still needs to be more negotiations: "Regarding the [West African leaders'] proposals for a solution to the crisis, it is obvious that we will only commit to them if they take into account the will of the Burkinabes."

Associated press reports:

Burkina Faso's interim president declared Wednesday he is once again in charge of the country a week after a military general and his supporters overthrew him and his transitional government.

Interim President Michel Kafando had been arrested by members of the presidential guard a week ago, and later sought refuge at the residence of the French ambassador. In recent days, Burkina Faso's army sent troops into the capital to pressure Diendere and his soldiers to cede power. The military threatened to disarm them by force if necessary.

A regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, also called on the junta to lay down its arms.

"During this ordeal we have fought together and in freedom we triumph together," Kafando said in a declaration to the nation as presidents of neighboring countries arrived in Burkina Faso.

"We are proud of the intrepidity of the Burkinabe people, in particular its youth," he added.

Kafando's return caps a tumultuous week in Burkina Faso, where Gen. Gilbert Diendere and his supporters seized power a month before an election. The vote was organized after longtime leader Blaise Compaore was ousted in October in a popular uprising. The transitional government led by Kafando was to be charge until that vote.

The military said Wednesday it had reached an agreement with other members of Diendere's guard overnight.

Diendere had been an aide to Compaore and the head of the presidential guard under hm.