Burkina Faso attack: French embassy targeted in Ouagadougou


Gunmen have launched twin attacks in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, against the French embassy and army headquarters.

Eight security personnel and eight attackers were killed in the fighting while 80 people including civilians, were wounded, officials say.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said there was no doubt it was an act of terrorism.

It is was not immediately clear who had carried out the attack.


Burkina Faso Security Minister Clement Sawadogo said there had also been a suicide car bomb attack at the military HQ that may have intended to target a regional anti-terrorism meeting.

There have been rumours of an attack in Burkina Faso for some time, and these even prompted a recent security forces reshuffle.

But this is far bigger than what most people had expected. An attack on the military headquarters strikes at the heart of Burkina Faso's security establishment, while the French embassy is normally one of the safest places in the capital.

Since Emmanuel Macron came to power, France has been trying to mobilise its former colonies in West Africa, and the United Nations, to tackle the Islamist militant groups which operate in the Sahel region south of the Sahara. But, so far, progress has been slow.

This attack may concentrate some people's minds.

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http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43257453