Curfew extended in eastern Burkina Faso amid attacks

By Dramane Traore

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AA) – A curfew has been extended in eastern Burkina Faso for another 60 days amid ongoing terror attacks, local authorities announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, the governor of the East region said the curfew has been extended until May 29.

In the town of Fada N'Gourma, capital of the East region, the curfew will be observed between 12 a.m. (0000 GMT) and 4 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), while for other localities in the region between 10 p.m. (2200 GMT) and 4 a.m. (0400 GMT).

The region is under curfew since 2019 to allow the security forces to conduct counterterrorism operations.

The West African country has been marred by repeated terror attacks which have claimed many lives over the past five years and displaced thousands of people, who are also facing a serious humanitarian crisis.

Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali in the Sahel are at the epicenter of one of the world's fastest-growing displacement and protection crises.

The region hosts 851,000 refugees and nearly two million displaced people, according to the UN Refugee Agency.