A suspected key figure in the deadly Burkina Faso attacks has been arrested, a government source said Sunday.

Saying the person held could be &quot;one of the brains&quot; behind Friday&#39;s attacks, the source said that there were &quot;very strong suspicions&quot; that &quot;army infiltrators&quot; had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks in the capital claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda.

Sunday saw further unrest when one person was shot dead after three people attempted to storm a roadblock in the early hours near the presidential compound, a government source told AFP.

Two of the trio managed to flee the scene but the third was arrested and gunned down after attempting to seize the weapon of a guard, the source said.

The suspect in custody was arrested several hours after Friday&#39;s twin attacks on the French embassy and the country&#39;s military Head Quarter in the capital Ouagadougou saw seven soldiers killed, the source.

That was a new toll after eight had been declared dead.

The source added that nine assailants were killed, one more than previously reported. At least 80 people were injured.

The government has said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that a regional anti-terrorism meeting may have been the intended target.

Visiting the Head Quarter on Saturday, Prime minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he saw &quot;apocalyptic scenes&quot; and condemned &quot;with the utmost severity this terrorist attack, cowardly, which attacks our country, once again, which sows death, unnecessary destruction&quot;.

GSIM, which has admitted responsibility for previous attacks in the troubled Sahel region, claimed to have carried out the twin attacks, in a message cited by Mauritania`s Al-Akhbar news agency.

The group said the Ouagadougou attacks were a response to the deaths of some of its leaders &quot;in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago,&quot; the agency reported.

According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were &quot;killed or captured&quot; on that occasion.

Source say that there were 'very strong suspicions' that 'army infiltrators' had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks

A suspected key figure in the deadly Burkina Faso attacks has been arrested, a government source said Sunday. Saying the person held could be "one of the brains" behind Friday's attacks, the source said that there were "very strong suspicions" that "army infiltrators" had passed information to the assailants for the coordinated attacks in the capital claimed by GSIM, a jihadist group allied to al-Qaeda. Sunday saw further unrest when one person was shot dead after three people attempted to storm a roadblock in the early hours near the presidential compound, a government source told AFP. Two of the trio managed to flee the scene but the third was arrested and gunned down after attempting to seize the weapon of a guard, the source said. The suspect in custody was arrested several hours after Friday's twin attacks on the French embassy and the country's military Head Quarter in the capital Ouagadougou saw seven soldiers killed, the source. That was a new toll after eight had been declared dead. The source added that nine assailants were killed, one more than previously reported. At least 80 people were injured. The government has said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that a regional anti-terrorism meeting may have been the intended target. Visiting the Head Quarter on Saturday, Prime minister Paul Kaba Thieba said he saw "apocalyptic scenes" and condemned "with the utmost severity this terrorist attack, cowardly, which attacks our country, once again, which sows death, unnecessary destruction". GSIM, which has admitted responsibility for previous attacks in the troubled Sahel region, claimed to have carried out the twin attacks, in a message cited by Mauritania`s Al-Akhbar news agency. The group said the Ouagadougou attacks were a response to the deaths of some of its leaders "in a French army raid in northern Mali two weeks ago," the agency reported. According to French military sources, some 20 jihadists were "killed or captured" on that occasion.

Burkina Faso arrests likely key attack suspect: Government source

Gunmen attacked the French embassy in&nbsp;Burkina Faso&#39;s capital Ouagadougou.

The attackers were later killed by police, even as the country&#39;s military headquarters was also targeted.

&quot;Four attackers were neutralised,&quot; it said in a statement posted on the government&#39;s Information Service website.

Sixteen people - nine assailants and seven members of the security forces were killed in the attack.

Witnesses said five armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passersby before heading towards the French embassy. The car was later seen ablaze, AFP reported.

At the same time, an explosion occurred near the headquarters of the Burkinabe armed forces and the French cultural centre, which are located about a kilometre (half a mile) from the site of the first attack, other witnesses told AFP.

Information Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said the attack &quot;has strong overtones of terrorism, adding,&quot;a certain number of gendarmes and soldiers&quot; were wounded, but there were no known casualties among civilians.

The attackers were later killed by police

Gunmen attacked the French embassy in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou. The attackers were later killed by police, even as the country's military headquarters was also targeted. "Four attackers were neutralised," it said in a statement posted on the government's Information Service website. Sixteen people - nine assailants and seven members of the security forces were killed in the attack. Witnesses said five armed men got out of a car and opened fire on passersby before heading towards the French embassy. The car was later seen ablaze, AFP reported. At the same time, an explosion occurred near the headquarters of the Burkinabe armed forces and the French cultural centre, which are located about a kilometre (half a mile) from the site of the first attack, other witnesses told AFP. Information Minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou said the attack "has strong overtones of terrorism, adding,"a certain number of gendarmes and soldiers" were wounded, but there were no known casualties among civilians.

Gunmen target French embassy, military headquarters in Burkina Faso; several killed

Eighteen people have been killed in a restaurant attack in Burkina Faso&#39;s capital Ouagadougou, the government said.

&quot;The attack claimed 17 victims, their nationalities are yet to be confirmed, and eight injured,&quot; according to a government statement, a copy of which was sent to AFP.

Gunmen attacked the Aziz Istanbul restaurant even as&nbsp;security forces launched a counter-assault to try to end the attack, news agency Reuters reported.

&quot;We evacuated 11 people but one of them, a Turk, died on arriving at the&nbsp;hospital,&quot; a doctor told AFP.

Another doctor said a dozen injured people were taken to the hospital.

&quot;Three of them have died. The rest of the wounded are in a critical condition,&quot; the surgeon told AFP.

&quot;A terrorist attack at Istanbul restaurant on Ouagadougou&#39;s Kwame Nkrumah Avenue claimed 17 victims, their nationalities are yet to be confirmed, and eight people are injured,&quot; a government statement said.

Communication minister Remis Dandjinou said it was not known how many assailants were involved.

&quot;They are confined to one part of the building they attacked. Security and elite forces are conducting an operation,&quot; he said on television.

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An armoured vehicle opens fire in the direction of a restaurant following an attack by gunmen on the restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (Reuters)
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Restaurant customers run into the street following an attack by gunmen on a restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (AFP)
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The government says the nationalities of the victims is not yet known

Eighteen people have been killed in a restaurant attack in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, the government said. "The attack claimed 17 victims, their nationalities are yet to be confirmed, and eight injured," according to a government statement, a copy of which was sent to AFP. Gunmen attacked the Aziz Istanbul restaurant even as security forces launched a counter-assault to try to end the attack, news agency Reuters reported. "We evacuated 11 people but one of them, a Turk, died on arriving at the hospital," a doctor told AFP. Another doctor said a dozen injured people were taken to the hospital. "Three of them have died. The rest of the wounded are in a critical condition," the surgeon told AFP. "A terrorist attack at Istanbul restaurant on Ouagadougou's Kwame Nkrumah Avenue claimed 17 victims, their nationalities are yet to be confirmed, and eight people are injured," a government statement said. Communication minister Remis Dandjinou said it was not known how many assailants were involved. "They are confined to one part of the building they attacked. Security and elite forces are conducting an operation," he said on television. An armoured vehicle opens fire in the direction of a restaurant following an attack by gunmen on the restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (Reuters) × Restaurant customers run into the street following an attack by gunmen on a restaurant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. (AFP) ×

18 killed in Burkina Faso restaurant attack

Twelve soldiers were killed in northern Burkina Faso when &quot;40 heavily armed individuals&quot; attacked a military post near the border with Mali, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said Friday.

The attack took place at around 5 am about 30 km (19 miles) from the Malian border.

The assailants have not been identified yet, the army said.&nbsp;

&quot;This attack demonstrates that the fight against terrorism will be without respite and also underscores the necessary decisions that must be taken to give confidence and vitality to our army,&quot; Kabore said.

The soldiers who were killed belonged to the army&#39;s special anti-terrorist group. In an earlier statement, the army had said that ten soldiers and one gendarme had died, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;A detachment of our army&#39;s anti-terrorist force suffered a murderous attack which claimed the lives of 12 of our valiant soldiers and left some wounded,&quot; President Kabore said in a public address.&nbsp;

&quot;I strongly condemn this horrible attack which shows the cruelty of these perpetrators,&quot; added Kabore.

He did not mention the number of soldiers injured.&nbsp;

High commissioner of Soum province, Mohamed Dah, told AFP two more men were missing.&nbsp;

&quot;They were heavily armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-launchers. They opened fire at the depots, the tents and set fire to some of the vehicles,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

It was &quot;the biggest jihadist attack ever perpetrated&quot; against the army he added.&nbsp;

At least five attackers were killed and their bodies were removed by their commrades, Dah claimed.

Since a major attack in January by Al Qaeda-linked fighters on a hotel in the capital, Ouagadougou, in which 29 people were killed, attacks have increased.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

 
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About 40 gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-launchers attacked the military post near the Mali border

Twelve soldiers were killed in northern Burkina Faso when "40 heavily armed individuals" attacked a military post near the border with Mali, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said Friday. The attack took place at around 5 am about 30 km (19 miles) from the Malian border. The assailants have not been identified yet, the army said. "This attack demonstrates that the fight against terrorism will be without respite and also underscores the necessary decisions that must be taken to give confidence and vitality to our army," Kabore said. The soldiers who were killed belonged to the army's special anti-terrorist group. In an earlier statement, the army had said that ten soldiers and one gendarme had died, Reuters reported. "A detachment of our army's anti-terrorist force suffered a murderous attack which claimed the lives of 12 of our valiant soldiers and left some wounded," President Kabore said in a public address. "I strongly condemn this horrible attack which shows the cruelty of these perpetrators," added Kabore. He did not mention the number of soldiers injured. High commissioner of Soum province, Mohamed Dah, told AFP two more men were missing. "They were heavily armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-launchers. They opened fire at the depots, the tents and set fire to some of the vehicles," he said. It was "the biggest jihadist attack ever perpetrated" against the army he added. At least five attackers were killed and their bodies were removed by their commrades, Dah claimed. Since a major attack in January by Al Qaeda-linked fighters on a hotel in the capital, Ouagadougou, in which 29 people were killed, attacks have increased. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Twelve soldiers killed in attack on Burkina Faso army post

Covered in dust and without protective kit, two seven-year-old boys gather stones in cups. 
 
One of them, standing in front of a pile of rock as large as he is at the Pissy open-cast granite quarry in a neighbourhood of the capital Ouagadougou, begins to hammer away at his haul. 
 
They are among the army of child labourers who make up Burkina Faso&#39;s young workforce. 
 
As many as 60 per cent of children aged between 5 and 17 are involved in some form of work, according to the National Survey of Child Labour (ENTE) compiled in 2006. 
 
Huge numbers of young people work in sectors as diverse as cotton picking, mining and street selling in the west African country of 19 million people where 44 per cent live below the poverty line. 
 
Two other young mine workers, Amy, 15, and her 14-year-old sister work close to the two young boys. 
 
&quot;We both come on one bike. It takes more than an hour. I pedal and when I can&#39;t do it anymore, my sister takes over,&quot; said Amy. 
 
From about 7am, around one thousand people begin to descend into the vast crater that is their workplace, mostly wearing rubber thongs or flimsy sandals. 
 
Many of them are children whose hands are badly lacerated by the stone that they extract and is used in the construction of roads and houses. None wear gloves for their arduous work. 
 
Working eight hours a day, six or seven days a week, they carry trays laden with stones on their heads which they then attempt to sell for 300 CFA Francs (50 US cents). They can expect to earn up to $2 a day. 
 
According to the ENTE, one quarter of child labourers are engaged in dangerous work like mining. 
 
&quot;Do you have medication? It was the hammer...&quot;, said Nemata, a 12-year-old, whose finger had gone visibly purple following an accident. 
 
Treats kids as lazy 
 
Boureima Koumbem, a doctor and consultant at the CHU Yalgado hospital in Ouagadougou warns that aside from visible injuries, children and adults working in the granite mines are also particularly susceptible to respiratory illnesses. 
 
&quot;They are exposed to pneumoconiosis, their lungs are invaded by mineral dust. These are silent diseases. These people are under-oxygenated throughout their lives - sometimes without even knowing it,&quot; he said. 
 
At the Pissy mine, families have had plots which they are permitted to excavate since France was the colonial power in what was then known as Upper Volta. 
 
Children have long been expected to help support their families by joining in the process from an early age. 
 
Both Nemata, whose father died when she was younger, and Amy are enrolled in school but work in the mine in the summer holidays to help their families &quot;buy notebooks&quot;, said Nemata and to &quot;help pay for school&quot;, according to Amy. 
 
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), just two fifths of children in Burkina Faso attend school and the quality of the education they receive is variable with overcrowding and poor conditions common. 
 
The country&#39;s ministry of social action is aiming to get 80 per cent of children working in mining back into education by opening schools next to mines, promoting enrolment and offering vocational training. 
 
The 26 billion CFA scheme ($45 million) that was adopted by the cabinet in September has however run into difficulties and is facing funding shortfalls. 
 
But the blight of child labour is not just down to government failings, according to Alizetta Korgo, a member of the Foundation for the Teaching and Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa. 
 
&quot;If you are a child and you&#39;re going to school, and you do not aid your family, you are frowned upon by society which treats you as lazy,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP)

A West African country were a child is lazy, if not employed. Sixty per cent of children aged between five and 17 are working

Covered in dust and without protective kit, two seven-year-old boys gather stones in cups. One of them, standing in front of a pile of rock as large as he is at the Pissy open-cast granite quarry in a neighbourhood of the capital Ouagadougou, begins to hammer away at his haul. They are among the army of child labourers who make up Burkina Faso's young workforce. As many as 60 per cent of children aged between 5 and 17 are involved in some form of work, according to the National Survey of Child Labour (ENTE) compiled in 2006. Huge numbers of young people work in sectors as diverse as cotton picking, mining and street selling in the west African country of 19 million people where 44 per cent live below the poverty line. Two other young mine workers, Amy, 15, and her 14-year-old sister work close to the two young boys. "We both come on one bike. It takes more than an hour. I pedal and when I can't do it anymore, my sister takes over," said Amy. From about 7am, around one thousand people begin to descend into the vast crater that is their workplace, mostly wearing rubber thongs or flimsy sandals. Many of them are children whose hands are badly lacerated by the stone that they extract and is used in the construction of roads and houses. None wear gloves for their arduous work. Working eight hours a day, six or seven days a week, they carry trays laden with stones on their heads which they then attempt to sell for 300 CFA Francs (50 US cents). They can expect to earn up to $2 a day. According to the ENTE, one quarter of child labourers are engaged in dangerous work like mining. "Do you have medication? It was the hammer...", said Nemata, a 12-year-old, whose finger had gone visibly purple following an accident. Treats kids as lazy Boureima Koumbem, a doctor and consultant at the CHU Yalgado hospital in Ouagadougou warns that aside from visible injuries, children and adults working in the granite mines are also particularly susceptible to respiratory illnesses. "They are exposed to pneumoconiosis, their lungs are invaded by mineral dust. These are silent diseases. These people are under-oxygenated throughout their lives - sometimes without even knowing it," he said. At the Pissy mine, families have had plots which they are permitted to excavate since France was the colonial power in what was then known as Upper Volta. Children have long been expected to help support their families by joining in the process from an early age. Both Nemata, whose father died when she was younger, and Amy are enrolled in school but work in the mine in the summer holidays to help their families "buy notebooks", said Nemata and to "help pay for school", according to Amy. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), just two fifths of children in Burkina Faso attend school and the quality of the education they receive is variable with overcrowding and poor conditions common. The country's ministry of social action is aiming to get 80 per cent of children working in mining back into education by opening schools next to mines, promoting enrolment and offering vocational training. The 26 billion CFA scheme ($45 million) that was adopted by the cabinet in September has however run into difficulties and is facing funding shortfalls. But the blight of child labour is not just down to government failings, according to Alizetta Korgo, a member of the Foundation for the Teaching and Promotion of Human Rights and Development in Africa. "If you are a child and you're going to school, and you do not aid your family, you are frowned upon by society which treats you as lazy," she said. (AFP)

Burkina Faso counts cost of child labour

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel today said it has completed the sale of its subsidiary in Burkina Faso to Orange. 
 
In January, Bharti Airtel had said it will sell its operations in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone to France-based Orange. 
 
&quot;Orange has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the operations of Airtel in Burkina Faso via its subsidiaries. We shall update the exchange regarding the process for Sierra Leone as and when it is completed,&quot; it said in a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange. 
 
Airtel, in July last year, had announced that it is entering an agreement with Orange to sell its four subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone in Africa. 
 
The agreements for the remaining two countries have lapsed. 
 
According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the companies&#39; share capital. The consolidated revenue of the two companies is around 275 million Euro. 
 
These acquisitions will be implemented in partnership with Orange&#39;s subsidiaries in the Cote d&#39;Ivoire and Senegal. 
 
Airtel had said outlay for Orange for these transactions will be based on the financial of its two subsidiaries for the year ended March 31, 2016, and will represent the equivalent of 7.9 times Airtel&#39;s EBITDA in these two countries at this time. 
 
Through this deal, Orange will reinforce its presence in Africa with two additional countries, adding almost 5.5 million users to its mobile 
customer base. 
 
(PTI)

According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the company's share capital

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel today said it has completed the sale of its subsidiary in Burkina Faso to Orange. In January, Bharti Airtel had said it will sell its operations in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone to France-based Orange. "Orange has completed the acquisition of 100 per cent of the operations of Airtel in Burkina Faso via its subsidiaries. We shall update the exchange regarding the process for Sierra Leone as and when it is completed," it said in a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange. Airtel, in July last year, had announced that it is entering an agreement with Orange to sell its four subsidiaries in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone in Africa. The agreements for the remaining two countries have lapsed. According to the agreement, Orange will acquire 100 per cent of the companies' share capital. The consolidated revenue of the two companies is around 275 million Euro. These acquisitions will be implemented in partnership with Orange's subsidiaries in the Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal. Airtel had said outlay for Orange for these transactions will be based on the financial of its two subsidiaries for the year ended March 31, 2016, and will represent the equivalent of 7.9 times Airtel's EBITDA in these two countries at this time. Through this deal, Orange will reinforce its presence in Africa with two additional countries, adding almost 5.5 million users to its mobile customer base. (PTI)

Airtel sells Burkina Faso subsidiary to Orange

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