Burkina Faso's ex-PM relieved of army duties

The former Burkina Faso Prime minister Yacouba Isaac Zida has been stripped off his military command roles by Burkina Faso President Christian Kaboré.

President Christian Kaboré had in September ordered for disciplinary procedures to be opened against former General Isaac Zida.

Isaac Zida together with 32 other former ministers are alleged to have been involved in the 2014 short-lived coup.

By the end of the transitional period in 2015, the former Prime Minister was granted permission to join his family in Canada under President Christian Kaboré‘s permission. Since then he has never step a foot in Burkina Faso for fear of arrest despite of the time frame for the permission having ended on 15 February 2016.

Zida is suspected to be behind a popular anti-Compaore demonstration that took place in the end of October 2014 during which 30 people were killed and more than 600 others wounded by the Burkina Faso military.

Col Zida had been among officers who took power when then President Blaise Compaore was forced to resign on 31 October 2014 during mass protests.

He declared himself head of state after Blaise Compaore resigned drawing more support from the military.

But for many analysts the presence of Col Zida at the head of government was a sign that the military intended to remain master of the transition process.

He later resigned amid rising tension between the premier and the country’s presidential security regiment in November 2, 2014.