AFP - The head of state of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore left Ouagadougou facing a mutiny by soldiers of his presidential guard to his hometown, located about thirty miles north of the capital, officials said Friday, a military source .
President Compaore, in power for 24 years, who usually resides at the presidential palace in Ouagadougou which is a party mutiny, has left on the night of Thursday to Friday to visit Ziniaré, the city where he was born, the source said.
Dozens of soldiers from the presidential regiment divided two barracks in the capital, including one inside the walls of the residence of Mr.Compaore, mutinied on Thursday evening to protest against non-payment of premium housing that was promised to them.
They took to the streets, firing into the air, looted many shops in the city center and torched the home of General Diendiéré Gilbert, Chief of Staff of Blaise Compaore as well as that of two other officers , said a journalist from AFP.
Several people, civilians, have been "slightly injured" when looting the home of one of those officers, according to a military source.
The mutiny was then extended to three other barracks in Ouagadougou.
"Discussions were held with the rebels and they are trying to lay down their weapons," a military source said an AFP reporter who did hear gunfire in the morning near the three barracks.
Late March, soldiers angry protesting against the conviction and imprisonment of some of their comrades charged in sex cases and rape, had seized weapons in war garrisons in several cities, including Ouagadougou.
They had already fired in the air in the streets, looted shops and released some of their imprisoned comrades.
After these incidents, President Compaore had met all the components of its army, privates to generals, and announced the "end of the crisis" after these meetings.
