The US State Department called on the military in Burkina Faso to hand over power to civilian authorities amid a power vacuum left by the ouster of president Blaise Compaore.

"We call on the military to immediately transfer power to civilian authorities," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement Saturday, adding that "the United States condemns the Burkinabe military's attempt to impose its will on the people of Burkina Faso."