Authorities were probing a new attempt to "destabilise" Burkina Faso involving a decorated senior officer, according to the military prosecutor.
One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina has already seen two coups by disgruntled army officers this year that have put the military in power.
"The first elements" of an inquiry opened after information from a whistleblower revealed that "soldiers were preparing to destabilise the institutions of the state," the prosecutor said in a statement late Wednesday.
Among the plotters were chief warrant officer Charles Neboa and sergeant Adama Traore, according to the whistleblower quoted in the statement.
They "were in contact with the 'green mamba' unit of lieutenant-colonel Emmanuel Zoungrana and intended to launch simultaneous attacks on Burkina radio and television (RTB), the army prison (Maca) where this officer had been detained for similar acts, and the residence of the head of State," captain Ibrahim Traore, the prosecutor said.
Zoungrana had been arrested January 14 suspected of "attempted destabilisation of state institutions" and a long list of charges including theft, forgery and money laundering.
At the time, Burkina was led by president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who had won re-election in 2020.
He was overthrown this year in a January 24 coup that brought a military junta to power which was itself ousted by captain Traore on September 30.
Zoungrana had been granted a provisional release on December 15 before being...
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