Burkina Faso president says back in charge

OUAGADOUGOU – Burkina Faso’s President, Michel Kafando, said on Wednesday he was back in charge and would resume overseeing a transition to democracy, as a coup last week by soldiers in his personal guard who briefly took him hostage appeared to have ended. Kafando addressed his supporters and West African leaders who flew to the capital of the West African state to negotiate an end to the putsch in which troops under General Gilbert Diendere briefly took power. Diendere greeted the heads of state from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Niger at the airport earlier in the day, giving the impression he was still in charge, but he did not attend the ceremony at a conference centre at which Kafando spoke. National elections due on Oct. 11 are meant to mark a return to democracy a year after demonstrators toppled President Blaise Compaore as he attempted to extend his 27-year rule. Kafando’s task was to guide the country to that vote in a process seen as a beacon for democratic hopes in Africa at a time when veteran leaders from Rwanda to Congo Republic appear to be manoeuvring to scrap term limits to extend their rule. “If ever there was a transition to be held up as an example, it is indeed ours,” Kafando said, after supporters chanted “Presi, Presi, Presi”. “I can assure you that we are determined to carry on with the mission the Burkinabe people have entrusted us with, to build strong institutions and a real democracy,” he said, thanking the international community for condemning the coup. The presence of the foreign leaders signalled international concern for Burkina Faso, an ally of the United States and France in their battle against Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda in the Sahel region. Kafando was accompanied by Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida, who was held for days after soldiers stormed a cabinet meeting last Wednesday. Burkina Faso