OUAGADOUGOU, (Reuters) – Burkina Faso’s new military ruler has pledged to hand power to a civilian transitional government, an influential tribal ruler said yesterday, a day before three West African leaders were due in Ouagadougou to press the army to relinquish power.
The military appointed Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida, deputy commander of the elite presidential guard, as provisional head of state on Saturday. The day before, long-time president Blaise Compaore had stepped down and with the help of France fled to neighbouring Ivory Coast.