Protesters attack French embassy in Burkina Faso after coup

Coup spokesman Capt Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho reads a statement in a studio in Ougadougou (RTB via AP)

Angry protesters have attacked the French embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital after supporters of the West African nation’s new coup leader accused France of harbouring the ousted interim president – a charge French authorities have vehemently denied.

Lt Col Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba was overthrown late on Friday only nine months after he had mounted a coup himself in Burkina Faso, which has been failing to effectively counter rising violence by Islamic extremists.