Burkina Faso President admits problems as 53 killed

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has admitted to problems that “must be corrected in the fight against terrorism” after an attack that killed 53 people.

The suspected jihadist attack on Sunday, in which 49 soldiers and four civilians died, targeted a military police detachment in Inata in the north.

“The situation distresses everyone, and the dysfunctions must be corrected.” President Kaboré said.

He spoke following public anger amid the high death toll in one of the deadliest attacks on defence and security forces since Burkina Faso started facing jihadist threats six years ago.

‘Two commanders have been sacked’ after hundreds of young people in several cities held demonstrations on Tuesday over the rising insecurity.

The protesters called on President Kaboré to resign for failing to rein in the insecurity.

But the president has called on people to stand together with the security forces to defend the country.

A national mourning period has been declared in Burkina Faso from Tuesday until Thursday in the wake of the latest attacks.

BBC/Shakirat Sadiq