OUAGADOUGOU — President Ibrahim Traoré provided details about the shooting incident near Radio Télédiffusion du Burkina (RTB), assuring the public that the incident was accidental and not deliberate.

According to Burkina Information Agency, “It is those who are there to protect you who unfortunately caused the incident. This is as part of their succession; while wanting to check a certain number of things, unfortunately, someone made it go away. Those who were nearby, as well as the one who fired it, were injured and taken to hospital today. Thank God, they left the hospital,” he indicated to the RTB staff mobilized for the occasion.

He added, “Unfortunately the rocket headed into the RTB Télé courtyard. We can give thanks to God because there was no loss of human life; but injured people were taken care of by the infirmary of the Presidency of Faso. We have set up a team of psychologists to deal with post-traumatic stress for all staff.”

Captain Ibrahim Traoré said he came “as a psychologist to try to cheer you up and tell you not to be afraid, because it is not deliberately done against you.” The Head of State reassured that it was just an incident and that in the handling of weapons, these types of events can occur.

As a reminder, following the shooting, Western media and activists announced the start of mutinies.