Burkina Faso: Many detained for attempted destabilisation

The authorities in Burkina Faso have detained this week a total of fifteen people suspected of involvement in a plot to "destabilise institutions".

The group includes one senior army officer, soldiers and civilians.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the Defence Minister.

"This legal action, which was decided by the military prosecutor, follows reports by a soldier who was allegedly contacted by a group of individuals to join the group in order to carry out destabilisation actions against the institutions", said Aime Barthelemy Simpore.

According to the Defence Minister, the arrests were ordered by prosecutors at the military tribunal in the capital, Ouagadougou.

"At the end of the first hearings, three people were released, including two civilians and one soldier, which means that until today, there are still twelve people in preventive detention for the needs of the investigation", added the minister.

Since 2015 that Burkina Faso is fighting a jihadist insurgency.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets on November 27th over the government's failure to stem the insurgency.