The afternoon is uncommonly calm here. I can barely even hear any cars, only the sound of small birds and the odd scream of a donkey. There is no TV and no radio. I think everyone is waiting for an announcement.
This is what has happened:
The parliament was supposed to hold the vote on the referendum today. The protests in Ouagadougou turned even more dramatic than any of the days before. The parliament building was stormed and set ablaze, so were some other governmental buildings and a hotel. The national radio and TV building was attacked, and now nothing is being broadcast. People are rushing towards the presidential residence, but the president is not believed to be in the country. Instead, the younger brother of the president ordered the military that they may shoot at the demonstrators. Between five or ten people have been killed, different sources say different things. The younger brother of the president was arrested at the airport when he tried to flee the country, and now the airport is closed.
The parliament has suspended the vote on the referendum. We also hear that a former defense minister, a known critic of the current president, has claimed power over the military and has said that the military now runs the country. They are talking about a military coup.
Now, everyone is waiting for a press conference to end. After five, we should know what is actually happening here.
Here in Ouahigouya, though, things are relatively calm. There have been some protests, and it is rumored that some governmental buildings have been put on fire here too, but I wouldn’t know. We haven’t left our hotel for three days. The protests have not spread beyond the city center. I’ve read articles on participatory mapping and gone through our budget and expenses.
We’re all just waiting for what will happen next.
Katja Malmborg 