Burkina Faso police fire tear gas at protesters
Police fired tear gas in Burkina Faso's capital on Saturday (November 27) during a demonstration against the government's failure to stop a wave of violence by Islamist militants.
Opponents of President Roch Kabore called for renewed protests in response to a recent surge of attacks in the West African country,
including one by al Qaeda-linked militants two weeks ago that killed 49 military police officers and four civilians.
Military police launched tear gas canisters to disperse about 100 protesters who were trying to march toward downtown Ouagadougou on Saturday.
Protesters erected barricades and burned tires and trash cans.
Valentin Yamkoudougou is spokesman for the Free Burkina Faso Movement.
"Since he (the president) is in power, terrorists are spreading desolation in this country and he is incapable of finding a solution to this problem. So we ask for his immediate resignation today and now, as long as he doesn't resign, we won't go home."
The assault two weeks ago near the northern town of Inata was the deadliest security forces have suffered since an insurgency broke out in 2015
It fuelled popular anger against the government and the French military forces that support it.
Unnerved, authorities cut mobile internet access a week ago and refused to authorise Saturday's demonstration.
