Burkina army warns coup leaders it has the 'means to attack'

Burkina Faso's army on Tuesday warned the elite troops behind last week's coup that it had "the means to attack" them, further ramping up pressure on the putschists to surrender.

"The national armed forces who arrived yesterday in Ouagadougou could have attacked the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP) from the moment they entered, and they have the capacity and the means to do so," the army chiefs said in a statement.

Troops had not initially used force when they entered the capital late on Monday because they wanted to "prioritise the security of the population," it said.

"The army is at the service of the population and it will remain so," it added.

The statement came as the RSP continued mediated talks with army representatives in Ouagadougou, with both sides claiming they wanted to avoid an armed confrontation.

"Confrontation is the last option," a top army official told AFP.
Source: AFP