US citizen killed by Burkina Faso security forces

A citizen of the United States was killed by Burkina Faso security forces outside a military base in the capital Ouagadougou on Saturday.

The shooting comes with the West African country on edge as it prepares for a general electionSunday in the shadow of a growing jihadist insurgency.

According to AFP, the man was strolling outside the Baba Sy military camp to the south of the city and acting "suspiciously".

After he refused to comply and tried to flee, soldiers fired warning shots, some of which hit the man. He was then immediately taken to a health centre where he died.

Military camps have been frequently targetted, including an attack on a base near the Malian border last year that killed 24 soldiers.

The security crisis has dominated the electoral campaign and an undisclosed number of troops have been deployed for polling day in the landlocked nation.

No votes in the presidential and parliamentary polls will be cast in one-fifth of the country's territory, where large swathes remain outside the state's control and jihadists strike almost daily.