The police dispersed Friday, August 12 with tear gas demonstrators who tried to gather in Ouagadougou to protest against the presence of France in Burkina Faso, noted an AFP journalist.
Gathered in small groups at the United Nations roundabout, in the heart of Ouagadougou, the demonstrators, some of whom were waving Russian flags, tried to march towards the French embassy, before being dispersed by the police.
Read alsoIn Burkina Faso, the frenetic spiral of violence
It is the second time in a few weeks that people, at the call of a new coalition of organizations gathered within the M30 Naaba Wobgo, named after a former Mossi emperor who opposed France in the 19th century, demonstrate for “
the rupture of all military and economic cooperation agreements
” and “
the end of international technical expertise
”.
“
The demonstration was quickly brought under control.
Several people were arrested and machinery seized
,” said a police source contacted by AFP, explaining that the organizers “
did not have authorization
” for “
security reasons not favorable to the gathering
”.
"
We denounce the economic partnership agreements, the installation of detachments and military bases on the
African continent and "
demand the departure of the military base of Kamboissin (north-west of Ouagadougou)
", declared Monique Yeli Kam, president of the movement, when launched.
France, a former colonial power in Burkina (formerly Upper Volta), has a military base in Ouagadougou and its air force intervenes regularly from neighboring Niger in support of operations by the Burkinabe army against the jihadists.
Burkina Faso, where soldiers took power in January promising to make the fight against jihadists their priority, is confronted like several neighboring countries with the violence of armed jihadist movements affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, who since 2015 have caused thousands of deaths and some two million displaced people.
