Burkina Faso coup leader handed over to government

Coup leader General Gilbert Diendere. {PHOTO:COURTESY}

The leader of a short-lived coup in Burkina Faso, General Gilbert Diendere, was handed over to authorities on Thursday after seeking refuge in the Vatican embassy, sources in the transitional government said on Thursday.

Diendere, a former spy chief, was at the head of a week-long power-grab by Burkina Faso's powerful presidential guard last month, during which the interim president and prime minister were held hostage.