Ekeomah Atuonwu
During an overnight attack on a jail in north-west Burkina Faso, militants freed about 60 inmates – the entire prison population.
The armed men arrived in Nouna around midnight, riding in 4×4 vehicles and on motorcycles, brandishing Kalashnikovs and heavy machine guns. Before fleeing, they ransacked offices and set vehicles on fire.
The raid followed the killing of at least 12 people in northern Burkina Faso, the majority of whom were members of a volunteer militia.
The country is fighting a jihadist insurgency that has spread across the Sahel region over the last decade.
In January, a military government seized power and deposed President Roch Kaboré, accusing him of failing to combat the jihadist insurgency. Read here.
