Burkina Faso protesters demand gov’t response to rising bloodshed

The landlocked West African country has seen several deadly attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Burkina Faso, demanding a stronger response to rising bloodshed after a massacre last month killed more than 130 people. Some had travelled hundreds of kilometres to attend the opposition-led demonstration in the capital, Ouagadougou, where protesters waved the red and green Burkinabe flag and blew whistles on Saturday. Armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) originally based in neighbouring Mali have embedded themselves across the north and east of the country, launching regular attacks on civilians.