Hundreds of people have thronged the streets in Burkina Faso’s capital city of Ouagadougou to protest against France’s military presence in the country, underscoring anti-French sentiment in the rebel-ravaged West African country.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in the center of Ouagadougou on Friday chanting anti-French slogans and holding placards demanding the expulsion of French troops from their country.
Some protesters burned French flags or used them to pick up trash.
Adama Sawadogo, one of the protesters present in the rally, said “We want… to show France that we no longer need her.”
Relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonizer France have been strained following two military coups last year, fueled in part by the authorities’ failure to protect civilians from terrorist groups in the arid north.
According to news media, the demonstration was largely peaceful and ended without any violent incidents.
Many believe that the French military presence in Burkina Faso has not improved security.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the government demanded the replacement of the French ambassador.
France has deployed about 400 military forces in Burkina Faso under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups, which have killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million people, and increased food violence across the region.
Officials in Burkina Faso say investigations are underway to look for more than 60 women who were abducted by armed assailants last week.
Being one of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso has been engulfed with the influence of terrorist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh that have killed thousands of its citizens, creating one of the fastest-growing humanitarian crises in Africa.
