Burkina Faso’s military have taken over the running of the country mere weeks before the holding of elections to elect a successor to Blaise Compaore.

The Presidential guard arrested the interim president and his prime minister during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The pair had been due to hand over to a new leader after elections scheduled for 11th October.

This morning the military formally announced the coup and announced it had dissolved the government. A new “national democratic council” had taken control to end the “deviant regime”, Lt-Col Mamadou Bamba said on state television.

Protestors gathered outside the presidential palace calling for the release of the two leaders.

Burkina Faso has barely seen stability since long serving Compaore was ousted in a popular uprising last year.