Instead government troops met little resistance on Tuesday when they launched a mopping up operation on the camp where the elite unit or RSP had been holding out.
Advertisement
The Burkinabe army has said the presidential guard is refusing to disarm, an assault seems imminent.
The negotiations on Diendere’s surrender were taking place at an unnamed diplomatic mission in the capital Ouagadougou, according to a statement by the interim government, and came as the European Union urged speedy elections.
The week-long coup ended with the restoration on Wednesday of the government, which disbanded the special unit during its first cabinet meeting following the putsch.
Kafando had stepped in as an interim leader after the last president, Blaise Compaore, was driven from power a year ago nad the country was less than a month away from October. 11 elections meant to restore democracy.
The failed coup also slowed down the industries’ production, with direct consequences of less 0.3 percent growth in public finances.
In his defense, Diendere has reportedly said that one of the primary reasons for the coup was the court decision which barred Bassole and other candidates due to their support for Compaore’s plan to change the constitution.
Ouagadougou’s worldwide airport also shut on Tuesday.
Despite the lockdown, life in the capital had by Tuesday morning regained a few sense of normalcy after a call on Saturday for a general strike was suspended.
“Any attempt of aggression against our regiment will result in a clear, clean and decisive response, as always”, the presidential guard said.
RSP chief General Gilbert Diendere took power, but was forced to step down under pressure from protesters, the army and the West African bloc ECOWAS.
A RSP source told AFP that the process of disarming had been held up because a government pledge to ensure the safety of the putschists and their families was not being respected.
Advertisement
At least eleven individuals have been killed and 271 injured because the presidential guard crushed protests towards their actions.
