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Burkina Faso president steps down, calls for elections

By AFP
Burkina Faso Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore speaks pictured at the Presidential Palace in Ouagadougou on July 26, 2014.  By Sia Kambou AFPFile
OCT 31, 2014 LISTEN
Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore speaks pictured at the Presidential Palace in Ouagadougou on July 26, 2014. By Sia Kambou (AFP/File)

Ouagadougou (AFP) - Burkina Faso's embattled President Blaise Compaore announced on Friday that he was stepping down following violent protests demanding an end to his 27-year rule.

In a statement issued by the presidency and read on local television, Compaore declared a "power vacuum" in the west African country and called for "free and transparent" elections within 90 days.

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