OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) March 2, 2018 — The United Nations chief is condemning Friday’s terrorist attacks in the capital of Burkina Faso.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says in a statement that the United Nations will “support Burkina Faso in its efforts to fight violent extremism and terrorism.”
He also called on the world’s nations to “promote national reconciliation and create the conditions for sustainable peace and development” in Burkina Faso.
Islamic extremists struck the French Embassy and Burkina Faso army headquarters in coordinated attacks of gunfire and explosives Friday, killing eight people and wounding more than 80 others. All eight militants were slain by security forces.
French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken with the president of Burkina Faso to express his condolences and support after an attack in that nation’s capital.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday that Macron expressed “our determination to fight unforgivingly against these terrorists who want to destabilize the Sahel and … pose a danger to our own security interests.”
Le Drian said the French leader said “this fight must continue.” He did not talk about any French military reinforcements to the city.
The violence, which the government labeled a terrorist attack, marked a further deterioration in Ouagadougou’s perilous security situation.