New Burkina Faso Leader Secures Military Support After Friday Coup

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Burkina Faso's new leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, has announced that the ruling Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) under his command has the support of the country's military top brass.

"The military command of the national armed forces, presented here by senior chiefs of staff and senior military chiefs of the armed forces… unanimously decided to back MPSR in pursuit of its vision of defense and national security," Traore said in a video address circulated by the public broadcaster RTB.

Traore said during a televised meeting with ministerial secretaries that the nation needed to cut the red tape and "act faster" to deal with crises in all sectors, "from security to defense, to health care, to social issues, to infrastructure."

Traore replaced Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damiba at the helm of MPSR following a coup on Friday, the second since the West African nation's president, Roch Kabore, was overthrown in January. Damiba said he had agreed to go after several conditions were met. He is reportedly in Togo.