In Burkina Faso, dozens of people demonstrated in the streets of the capital against the French presence in the country. They demand the departure of the French ambassador.
The demonstrators occupied, for hours, a part of the Boulevard de l’Indépendance where the French Embassy is located. With whistles and slogans hostile to the Francethe demonstrators demanded the cancellation of the defense and security agreements between the two countries.
“ It is time for France and the Burkinabe authorities to cancel these defense agreements and we demand the departure of the French army from Burkinabe soil ” hammered Lassané Sawadogo, coordinator of the movement “ France must leave”. These two points also appear on the note sent to the embassy.
Stone throwing and tear gas
After the message was delivered, some protesters insisted that the French flag be removed from its pole inside the embassy. Faced with their insistence, the Burkinabè security forces used tear gas to disperse them. The embassy remained under the protection of Burkinabe police and gendarmes.
Russian flags in their hands, the demonstrators then went to the Kamboinsin military camp to convey the same message to the French soldiers of the “Sabre” force, where the situation also degenerated. To the throwing of stones by some angry demonstrators, the soldiers responded with tear gas, according to the coordinator of the movement “France must leave”. The Burkinabè security forces finally dispersed the demonstrators who do not intend to give up their fight.
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