Siege ends at Burkina Faso hotel seized by Al-Qaeda
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 January 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Siege ends at Burkina Faso hotel seized by Al-Qaeda, 16 January 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4290b12.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 16, 2016
French special forces take position in the surroundings of the Splendid hotel following an attack by Al-Qaeda linked gunmen on January 16 in Ouagadougou.
The siege of a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso's capital by suspected Al-Qaeda militants ended with 126 hostages freed.
Communications Minister Remi Dandjinou gave a provisional figure of 26 killed in the attack on the four-star Splendid hotel and a nearby cafe in the west African nation's capital Ouagadougou.
The French foreign ministry gave a figure of 27 dead "and around 150 injured".
President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said at least 23 people were killed in the attack on the four-star Splendid hotel in the west African nation's capital Ouagadougou.
Kabore said the dead included victims from 18 different nationalities, though he gave no further details.
Four attackers were killed by Burkina Faso and French forces on January 16. Three attackers stormed the hotel and a nearby cafe on late January 15. A fourth attacker was killed in a second hotel on January 16.
Kabore described the assault as "cowardly and vile."
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack.
Burkina Faso, a largely Muslim country, has been in turmoil since its longtime president was ousted in a popular uprising in late 2014.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
