Burkina Faso’s interim President Michel Kafando, who was taken hostage by his guards a week ago, returned to power on Wednesday after the country’s army and West African leaders intervened and restored a civilian transitional government.

Just three weeks before a planned election, the head of the presidential guard, General Gilbert Diendere, arrested the interim leadership of the country on Sept 17 and declared himself in charge, pushing the politically fragile nation to the brink of a civil war.

The unpopular military takeover however face tough resistance from civilians who poured into the streets of the capital city Ouagadougou to demonstrate.

The protests, coupled with military intervention by forces loyal to the president and mediations by regional leaders, finally saw Gen. Diendere’s plan to change the government through a coup defeated on Sept. 23, with Kafando and his prime minister Yacouba Zida reinstalled.

“The transition [government] is back and at this very minute is exercising the power of the state,” Reuters quoted Kafando saying after he took back power.

This is the second time in less than a year that the people of Burkina Faso have succeeded in ousting those who they saw as trying to confiscate power, the BBC reported.

The country has been hailed as the continent’s model of a ‘Black Spring‘ after pro-democracy demonstrations last year forced the ouster of former president Compaoré, who was in power for 27 years.

Gen. Diendere, who has orchestrates three coups so far in Burkina Faso, said he had learnt “lessons for the future.”

It is estimated that about 20 people were killed during the seven-day coup, although the exact number is yet to be released.