Burkina Faso’s embattled president Blaise Compaore has been ousted, following days of protests against efforts to extend his rule.
In a statement read on the country’s news and television stations, Mr Compaore said: “I declare a vacancy of power with a view to allowing a transition that should finish with free and transparent elections in a maximum period of 90 days.”
He did not say who would take power until then but military chief General Honore Traore announced he has taken over as head of state.
Burkina Faso’s parliament was dissolved on Thursday, however, and the military has been very visible during the recent crisis.
The official statement came just minutes after the army’s Colonel Boureima Farta addressed thousands of protesters in front of the army headquarters saying: “As of today, Compaore is no longer in power.”
He was greeted with an outburst of cheering from the crowd in the former French colony.
Mr Compaore has been in power 27 years and had been seeking a change in the law to allow him to rule for longer.
The bid prompted rioting, with protesters taking over the national television station, setting the parliament building on fire and storming various other official buildings in the capital Ouagadougou.
Mr Compaore had on Thursday rejected calls for him to stand down, instead saying he would no longer seek another term but would stay in power until a transitional government had completed its work in 2015.
The European Union said the people of Burkina Faso must be able to decide their future.
A spokesman said the EU was “working with all actors on the ground to find a solution” and consulting with international partners over the crisis.
“We are ready to work with the people of Burkina Faso to ensure a return to normality, including the organisation of elections.”