TheCable

Burkina Faso has frozen the assets of Gilbert Diendere, the leader of last week’s failed coup, and 13 people suspected of involvement in the week-long interregnum in the Francophone country.

Laurent Poda, the state prosecutor, said the assets of 14 people, including Diendere’s wife, who is member of parliament in the former ruling party, would be frozen for three months.

Poda added that during this period, they would only be able to withdraw 300,000 CFA ($512) a month.

The interim government was reinstated on Wednesday after an intervention from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the country’s army.

On Friday, during his first full meeting with his cabinet since the reinstatement, President Michel Kafando dismissed the minister in charge of security and ordered that the presidential guards’ unit that carried out the coup be disbanded.

The unit has 1,200 well-armed and well-trained men, loyal to Blaise Compaore, the country’s long-time ruler who was ousted in a popular uprising last year.

At least 10 people were killed and more than 100 injured in clashes during the take-over, which Diendere has described as “the biggest mistake”.