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OUAGADOUGOU Sat Nov 1, 2014 9:12am EDT
OUAGADOUGOU Nov 1 (Reuters) - Burkina Faso's top military officials on Saturday threw their support behind presidential guard Lieutenant Colonel Issaac Zida as leader of a transitional government following the resignation of President Blaise Compaore, sidelining the head of the army.
"Lieutenant Colonel Yacouba Issaac Zida has been elected unanimously to lead the transition period opened after the departure of President Blaise Compaore," read a statement issued after military chiefs met to decide on a dispute between Zida and General Honore Traore over who would take power. (Reporting by Mathieu Bonkoungou and Nadoun Coulibaly; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Louise Ireland)