Blaise Compaore, embattled president of Burkina Faso, steps down

Blaise Compaore, embattled president of Burkina Faso, steps down
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Blaise Compaore, the longtime president of Burkina Faso, said on Friday that he is stepping down, following violent protests against his regime that began when Compaore proposed changes to the constitution to extend his 27-year reign. Compaore also called for "free and transparent" elections within 90 days.

The protests had raised concerns about stability in Burkina Faso, a former French colony. For a brief primer on the situation, see here.

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Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.