General Gilbert Diendere, the leader of Burkina Faso's short-lived coup, was in police custody on Thursday, a security source told AFP.

Diendere, who had said several times that he was willing to face justice following the abortive September 17 putsch, was at the Paspanga police base near the centre of the capital Ouagadougou on Thursday aftenoon.

He had taken refuge at the residence of the Vatican's representative in the country on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the matter.