Latest Burkina Faso News
US struggles with shaky relations and troop cuts in African nations as military leaders meet
GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — The forced U.S. troop withdrawals from bases in Niger and Chad and the potential to shift some troops to other nations in West Africa will be key issues as the top U.S. military officer meets with his counterparts this week at a chiefs of defense conference. ...
UN says violence against children in conflict reached extreme levels in 2023, including in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Violence against children caught in multiplying and escalating conflicts reached “extreme levels” in 2023, with an unprecedented number of killings and injuries in crises, from Israel and the Palestinian territories to Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine, according to a new U.N....
Russia's top diplomat promises more military support for Burkina Faso as he tours West Africa
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Russia's foreign minister on Wednesday pledged more support to Burkina Faso in fighting militant groups as he pressed his whirlwind tour of West Africa in an attempt to fill a vacuum left by the region's traditional Western partners. Sergey Lavrov...
In Burkina Faso, a growing number of children are traumatized by war
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When armed men entered Safi’s village in northern Burkina Faso and began firing, she hid in her home with her four children. The gunmen found them and let them live — to suffer the guilt of survival — after killing her husband and other relatives. Safi,...
Any French military in Ukraine would be a 'legitimate target' for Russian forces, Lavrov says
OYO, Republic of Congo (AP) — Any French military instructors in Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for Russian armed forces, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday during a tour of Africa, where frustration with the West has swayed several countries toward Moscow. ...
Russia's foreign minister again visits Africa, this time in Guinea, as some ties cool with the West
CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived Monday in Guinea on his latest visit to West Africa, where coups and growing discontent with traditional allies like France and the United States have contributed to some countries' shift toward Moscow. Lavrov...
US military defends Africa strategy in light of coups and a drift toward Russia
AGADIR, Morocco (AP) — The head of the U.S. military in Africa vigorously defended the country’s counterterrorism strategy on the continent and vowed to press forward with it despite a wave of criticism and a drift among African nations toward seeking security help from Russia instead. ...
Burkina Faso junta extends its transition term by 5 years
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The military leader of Burkina Faso will remain in office for another five years following the signing of a new charter after national consultations in the capital on Saturday. Civil society representatives, the security and defense forces and lawmakers in...
Chad swears in president after disputed election, ending years of military rule
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Chad swore in Mahamat Deby Itno as the president on Thursday after holding elections earlier this month, completing a disputed transition to democratic rule after he seized power three years ago. Deby Itno, also known as Mahamat Idriss Deby, took power after...
Burkina Faso suspends BBC and Voice of America after they covered a report on mass killings
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Burkina Faso suspended the BBC and Voice of America radio stations for their coverage of a report by Human Rights Watch on a mass killing of civilians carried out by the country's armed forces. Burkina Faso's communication spokesperson, Tonssira Myrian Corine...
