Soldiers stage street protest

Soldiers demonstrated on Thursday in Ouagadougou to press their demand for the reimbursement of withheld housing allowances but suspended their protest after receiving assurances that the matter would be settled, sources in the Burkinabe capital told IRIN. However, the soldiers threatened to demonstrate again on 22 July if their demand for the repayment of the allowance is not met. A media source told IRIN that Armed Forces Chief of Staff Kouame Lougue said in a radio broadcast that President Blaise Compaore had issued instructions for the rapid implementation of measures to resolve the crisis. The source said the government had promised to repay the money in tranches. In 1984, the government cut public servants' housing allowance, using it instead to finance a national housing fund. In 1991, civilians were relieved of the obligation to contribute to the fund but members of the military continued to make payments. Thursday's demonstration was sparked by the perception among soldiers that the housing funds had been misappropriated.