Protesters burn government buildings in Burkina Faso
ENLARGEPeople stand in front of smoke rising from the Burkina Faso's parliament on Thursday, with demonstrators expressing their opposition to a vote that could allow the president to run for election again. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Burkina Faso’s capital was plunged into disarray Thursday as protesters burned government buildings and stormed the presidential estate, enraged by President Blaise Compaore ’s plan to extend his 27-year rule of the West African country.
The military was preparing a statement saying that it would hand power to a general, Kwamé Lougué, according to a member of Mr. Compaore’s entourage who is in contact with the army. Mr. Compaore himself was holed up in his presidential palace while Gen. Lougué prepared to address the nation, said the official, who asked not to be identified.
Television footage shown by private channel Africable showed thousands of mostly young men forcing their way into one government building after the next, burning tires and blowing vuvuzelas.
One throng broke into the national assembly, where lawmakers had been expected to approve a bill that would have allowed Mr. Compaore to seek a fifth term in office.
Instead, the crowd set fire to that building before burning down the city hall, the ruling party’s headquarters, and storming the presidency, the British Broadcasting Corp. said.
State TV, state radio, and much of the cellphone network all ceased functioning, residents in the country said.
The scene in the normally sedate, sun-baked capital of Ouagadougou was indicative of how Africa’s increasingly young and urban population is driving out aging leaders such the 63-year-old Mr. Compaore, who has led this landlocked nation since 1987.
As the crowd grew, Mr. Compaore withdrew his bid for the extra time in office, in a statement announced on the government-run News Agency of Burkina. But it wasn’t clear that would be enough to pacify the mob. Shortly after noon, smaller protests erupted 200 miles away in Bobo-Dioulasso, the country’s second-largest city.
“They’re fed up,” said Ismail Dicko, a local travel agent there. “They’re just tired of this system.”
The White House said it was deeply concerned with the deteriorating situation in Burkina Faso.
“We call on all parties, including the security forces, to end the violence and return to a peaceful process to create a future for Burkina Faso that will build on Burkina Faso’s hard-won democratic gains,” National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.
During Mr. Campoare’s rule, Burkina Faso has been a stable but stagnant nation at the crossroads of two great trends sweeping Africa.
Its northern neighbors, Mali and Niger, are both battling a rising tide of Islamic militants, as are nearby Nigeria and Mauritania. But southern neighbors Ivory Coast and Ghana are busy paving new highways and ports to keep up with an exploding consumer class.
Mr. Compaore’s country has neither seen the explosive growth of its southern neighbors nor the recurrent conflict to the north.
Instead, a quieter change has swept this country: Under Mr. Compaore’s rule, it transformed from an agrarian to an urban society. Ouagadougou is the fastest-growing city in Africa, according to a 2010 United Nations report. Its streets are packed with young men selling phone cards, used clothes and snacks.
Half the nation’s population isn’t yet 17 years old. Just 5% of those who have reached working age have a full-time job, according to a Gallup poll conducted last year.
Still, on the world stage, Mr. Compaore has been a steadfast ally to France, the country’s former colonizer. In August, he traveled to Washington, briefing American officials on his efforts to negotiate peace in northern Mali, the scene of a simmering, Islamist-tinged rebellion.
“A lot of people are going to be shaking their heads after this and wondering what happened,” said J. Peter Pham, Africa director at Washington D.C.’s Atlantic Council, who hosted Mr. Compaore.
—Jeffrey Sparshott contributed to this article.
Write to Drew Hinshaw at drew.hinshaw@wsj.com
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