( CNN ) -- The military in the West African nation of Burkina Faso seized control of the government on Thursday and set a dusk-to-dawn curfew in what one general described as an effort to protect lives and restore order . Unrest has gripped Burkina Faso -- a key ally for the West in the fight against al Qaeda -- as protests against President Blaise Compaore 's government turned violent , culminating Thursday with demonstrators storming the Parliament and setting fire to the building . Saying it was in the best interest of the country 's citizens and supported by `` national and international opinion , '' Gen. Honore Nabere Traore told reporters in the capital city of Ouagadougou that the `` government is dissolved . '' `` An interim authority will be set up in order to prepare the conditions for the return to normal constitutional order within a period of 12 months at the latest , '' Traore said . The whereabouts of Compaore were not immediately known , and it was not immediately clear whether he had surrendered control of the country . Earlier in the day , Compaore took emergency measures , asking in a government communique read on national radio for an end to the violence . He also withdrew a proposed constitutional amendment that included a provision that would allow him to seek another term in office , according to the communique . Compaore , who has been in office since he took power following a bloody coup in 1987 , also made an appeal via Twitter , urging for a return to calm . But it was unlikely to placate the opposition , which called for his immediate resignation . In Bobo-Dioulasso , the country 's second largest city , protesters reportedly tore down a statue of Compaore . The incident followed reports that a large group of protesters had stormed the Parliament building , where lawmakers were set to vote on a motion to allow Compaore to extend his 27 years of rule . Footage aired by a number of the country 's media outlets show the Parliament building engulfed in flames . There have been reports of casualties in the violence , but CNN has not been able to independently confirm the claim . Flights in and out of Ouagadougou have been suspended , according to the Burkina Faso Embassy in Washington . Embassy personnel told CNN that it was still issuing visas but that there were no flights at the moment . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all groups to end the violence , asking that they `` exercise calm and restraint . '' The West , particularly France , considers Burkina Faso a key ally in the fight against al Qaeda . The country was formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta , when it was established in 1958 as a self-governing colony under France . France urged restraint in the current situation . The French Foreign Ministry condemned the violence . The African Union announced it would deploy troops alongside United Nations forces as part of a joint mission to address the unrest . CNN 's Pierre Meilhan and Elwyn Lopez contributed to this report .
UP : Midnight - to - dawn curfew established nationwide , a general says . NEW : The whereabouts of President Guillaume Tell are not immediately known . Streets quiet as lawmakers consider extending the President 's rule .