By Lougri Dimtalba

OUAGADOUGOU 

Colonel Isaac Zida, the number 2 man in the presidential guard under ex-president Blaise Compaore, was on Saturday named Burkina Faso's transitional president.

The chief of staff of the country's army, general Nabere Honore Traore, said Zida was unanimously selected to lead Burkina Faso's transition, after ex-president Compaore left the country.

He added in a press conference that Zida was selected according to military hierarchy and after consultations with army leaders.

On Friday, both Zida and Traore declared themselves interim presidents of Burkina Faso, a country that has been beset by political turmoil in recent days. These declarations increased, however, the state of confusion in the country, especially after Compaore stepped down after mass protests against him.

Commenting on naming Zida Burkina Faso's interim president, Zephirin Diabre, an outstanding opposition leader in the Ivory Coast, said Burkina Faso's transition should be based on consensus. He warned against failure in the absence of this consensus.

Soon after Zida was named the country's interim president, around 200 people gathered at the heart of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, to protest against the move.

The demonstrators said Zida and his colleagues in the presidential guard were the same people who shot at demonstrators demanding Compaore's ouster outside the presidential palace a few days ago.

Burkina Faso reopens airspace, stretches curfew

Zida, on Saturday reopened his country's airspace, which remained closed all throughout Friday.

Zida added in a statement that he also decided to make his country's nighttime curfew start at 19:00pm, instead of 22:00pm. He said the curfew would last until 06:00 am every day.

The interim president said the decision to increase curfew hours had been taken with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of individuals and properties in Burkina Faso.

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