Burkina Faso's presidential guard seize power
Gilbert Diendere, an ally of ex-President Compaore, named leader
Coup leaders close land and air borders, impose night-time curfew
Mozambique declared free of landmines
Gambians live in a climate of fear, says torture report
More than 170 die in South Sudan oil tanker blast
Email stories and comments to africalive@bbc.co.uk - Thursday 17 September 2015
Hugo Williams and Lucy Fleming
Reuters journalist Joe Penney, who has reported for years in West Africa, has tweeted his assessment of the situation for Gen Gilbert Diendere and the rest of the presidential guard (RSP) behind today's coup:
Nancy Kacungira
BBC Komla Dumor award winner
Burkina Faso is now the country with the highest number of successful coups in Africa, according to US-based academic Jonathan Powell, external.
His research shows that these are the African nations that have had the most coups:
Of course, there have been many failed putsches:
The statistics have caused some debate on Twitter about what constitutes a coup and what qualifies one as an “attempted” or “successful” one.
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A newspaper cartoonist in Burkina Faso has been poking fun at the leaders of today's coup.
In the cartoon below he depicts the man who announced the coup on state TV.
The speech bubble (translated from French) reads:
"We announce the immediate closure of land, air and sea borders."
The joke? Burkina Faso is landlocked and has no coast:
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A journalist with Internews has been tweeting photos from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.
The first tweet reads (translated from French): "The population in Ouaga is very angry. There are more and more barricades in the city".
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The text of the second tweet reads: "Many deaths from gunfire in Ouaga among the civilian population. Bullet cases retrieved here and there."
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The speaker of Burkina Faso's transitional parliament, Cherif Sy, has declared himself president of the country, local media is reporting, quoting an interview Mr Sy gave to Radio France Internationale.
It would mean that there are now two men from different groups both claiming to be head of state:
1. Gen Gilbert Diendere , named as head of the presidential guard group, which announced earlier it had seized power in a coup. He was a close ally of ex-President Blaise Compaore.
2. Cherif Sy , who reportedly said he was taking on devolved power as head of state following the arrest of both the interim president and prime minister by the coup leaders.
Local media outlet Radio Omega tweeted the section of Mr Sy's interview where he reportedly called for action from the country's regular armed forces (translated from French):
"I invite the heads of the national army to take all steps to stop this abuse of power".
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Lupita Nyong'o has just posted the cover of October's Vogue magazine, which features the Kenyan Oscar-winning actress for the second time:
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The BBC's Sierra Leone reporter says the call for people to remain at home because more heavy rains are expected is not being heeded - and people and vehicles are out on the streets.
He tweeted this photo from the National Stadium in the capital where those made homeless by the floods are seeking refuge:
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A local journalist has tweeted this photo of an injured man at the main hospital in Ouagadougou:
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An image of one protester, who people are saying was killed in the unrest following the announcement of the coup, has also been circulating on social media.
Africa analyst Imad Mesdoua has tweeted this photo of the man named leader of the CND, the group which has led the coup in Burkina Faso:
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Journalist tweets from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, where the presidential guard (RSP) has dissolved the interim government:
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A journalist in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou tweets (translated from French): "Gunfire resumes in the city centre".
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A photograph of one of the officers from Burkina Faso's presidential guard (RSP), announcing the dissolution of the interim government on state TV, is being shared on social media:
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