After 27 years in power, Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore stepped down in the wake of violent anti-government demonstrations demanding his ouster, reports GHN based on Fox News.
Army General Honore Traore, the West African nation's joint chief of staff assumed power Friday, state radio announced.
Opposition protesters had gathered in the country's capital Friday morning, a day after their violent demonstrations pushed the country's longtime president to agree to relinquish power next year. Protesters stormed the parliament Thursday to prevent lawmakers from voting to allow Compaore to seek another term in office. They sacked and burned the parliament, attacked Cabinet ministers' houses and looted around the country.
For months, an opposition coalition had been urging Compaore not to seek re-election for what would have been his fifth term in power. But Compaore and his ruling party looked set to push a bill through parliament Thursday that would have allowed him to run again.
In response to the chaos Thursday, a brief period of martial law was imposed during which the military announced the dissolution of parliament and promised an interim government that would include all parties.
Compaore later said he would lead that transitional government until elections next year and then relinquish power but that proved not enough for the opposition.