Macron condemns 'terrorist attack' in Ouagadougou

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday condemned an overnight assault by presumed jihadists on a Turkish restaurant in Ouagadougou, calling it a "terrorist attack".
In a statement, Macron also praised the "effective mobilisation" of the Burkina security forces in ending the assault, which left at least 18 people dead, including at least one French national, according to Paris prosecutors.
Macron and his counterpart in the former French colony, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, will discuss the situation later Monday, his office said in a statement.
France remains committed to pursuing the fight against terrorist groups in west Africa and accelerating work to set up a planned Sahel force to fight jihadists, the statement said.
Macron visited the region in early July, when he said he wanted the force, which will initially count some 5,000 troops and begin its operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, to be operational by the end of August. — AFP