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Demonstrators breached the security around parliament and set it on fire/BBC |
Protesters
angry at plans to allow Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore to extend his
27-year-rule have set fire to parliament.
Correspondents
say the city hall and ruling party headquarters are also in flames in the
capital, Ouagadougou. MPs
have suspended a vote on changing the constitution to allow Mr Compaore to
stand for re-election next year.
Five
people have been killed in the protests, among the most serious against Mr
Compaore's rule, reports BBC Afrique's Yacouba Ouedraogo from the capital.
The
military fired live bullets as protesters stormed parliament, our correspondent
says.
Journalists
are now gathered outside the defence ministry awaiting a statement from the
military, he says.
Witnesses
say dozens of soldiers have joined the protests, including a former defence
minister, Gen Kouame Lougue.
The
main opposition leader, Zephirin Diabre, has called on the military to side
with "the people" and has demanded the resignation of the president.
Mr
Compaore's whereabouts are unknown, but he has appealed for calm via Twitter.
He
first took power in a coup in 1987, and has won four disputed elections since
then.
Source:
http://www.bbc.com
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