France's President Francois Hollande has urged the Burkina Faso military to quickly hand power to a civilian authority capable of organising elections in the troubled West African country.
Hollande was speaking shortly after the officers who seized power in the former French colony pledged to name a "consensus" leader tasked with overseeing a return to elected government.
Hollande said it was for a civilian authority to organise elections, and said that he hoped this would be confirmed "in the coming hours".
He also announced that France had helped facilitate the departure "without drama" of the ousted leader Blaise Compaore, who fled the country after mass protests ended his 27-year rule, but denied France actively participated in his escape.
Compaore is now in neighbouring Ivory Coast.
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Burkina Faso's de facto leader Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida had said: "We're not here to steal power.
He said a transitional body "within a constitutional framework" would be headed by "a person appointed by the consensus of all actors in public life".
Compaore resigned last week after thousands took to the streets to protest against moves to change the constitution to let him again stand for re-election.
After several days of chaos, the military has taken charge, but they are under pressure from the international community and the domestic opposition to allow a civilian transitional body to arrange a vote.
