The Kuwaiti General Directorate of Residence Affairs recently announced a ban on recruitment of domestic workers from five African countries.
The latest ban raises the list to 20 countries.
According local media sources, the Kuwaiti ministry of foreign affairs issued a circular mentioning the names of the 5 countries, which include Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Bhutan, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Additionally, the other 15 African countries are Djibouti,Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Togo, Senegal, Malawi, Chad, Sierra Leone, Niger, Tanzania, the Gambia, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
The circular also included five other African countries whose domestic workers faced a temporary ban, including Cameroon, the Congo, Burundi, Eritrea and Liberia.
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Showing posts with label burkina faso. Show all posts
Showing posts with label burkina faso. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
Monday, 8 May 2017
AFRICA: Suffering Donkeys Of Africa Being Hunted For Export To China For Chinese Traditional Medicine
The rapidly evolving relationship between China and Africa has attractive benefits to investors. However, there are devastating unintended consequences. Consideration must be given to the needs of poor people and their essential livestock.
Irrespective of whether or not people agree with the use of donkey products, it is vital that the welfare of donkeys involved is properly addressed. International Brooke teams are working together and collaborating with governments and other stakeholders to tackle this issue.
Petra Ingram, Chief Executive of Brooke said:
“The effect we’re seeing on the African donkey population is proving even greater than we originally feared. Alarming reports have been coming in from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, and it’s clear that it is affecting the people who rely on donkeys to support their livelihoods.
“The suffering taking place is stark, and it is unacceptable. We are against all these illegal activities, and are taking steps to do everything in our power to prevent it. We have already funded a study looking at new slaughterhouses in Kenya, and are waiting for the results. This will help us to better understand the issue.
“Brooke strongly believes that the lifetime value of donkeys in their contribution to community livelihoods is worth more than being sold for their meat or hides. In taking away someone’s donkey, it can mean taking away their means of making a living, potentially for a dangerously long time.
Brooke is working on a country by country basis, with national governments and donkey owning communities as they struggle to protect the welfare of donkeys and people’s livelihoods in the face of this growing challenge.
We have funded a study carried out by an organisation called GardenVet in Kenya. They have documented the impact of the donkey trade and slaughter process on donkey welfare in Kenya and to identify areas that need improvement to conform to donkey welfare best practices. The full results are expected soon, and will help us decide on what the next steps should be.
On 29 March, Brooke East Africa organised a national workshop and talks in Kenya to deliberate on donkey slaughter, its impact to animals and communities, and the best way of tackling the challenges.
Over 60 delegates attended, and they presented research on the issues. The team secured commitments from the government, other animal welfare organisations and community members on what can be done to minimise the negative impacts of the trade.
On Wednesday, 26 April, Samuel Theuri, Advocacy Officer from Brooke East Africa presented at The Kenya Veterinary Association’s (KVA) annual conference, this year celebrating 50 years of Veterinary Contribution to Sustainable Livelihoods and growth in developing economies.
This conference brings together animal health professionals to discuss the latest news and research.
One of the big subjects at the conference was the issue of donkey skin export, and the increase in theft of donkeys for their hides.
Samuel reported that Brooke East Africa and partners have found that almost 1000 donkeys have been stolen across Kenya between December 2016 and April 2017, and it’s likely that the slaughter methods used are extremely distressing for the donkeys and not welfare friendly.
As well as the obvious impact on the donkeys, this is also leaving many owners suddenly without the animal they need most for earning a living. A donkey helps an owner earn the equivalent of £4-£10, and it’s estimated that donkeys provide the equivalent of £3.7m in contribution to the economy.
Samuel also explained that because of the demand, donkeys have doubled in price, from 7,000 Kenyan Shillings in 2014 to 15, 000 in 2017 making them unaffordable to those who lose their donkey.
To date, the trade of donkeys for their hides is banned in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Last week an abattoir in Ethiopia was closed down by local authorities.
A major concern however is that trade continues on the black market and there is increased trade in other African countries.
Brooke as a whole continues to monitor this global issue and is working with its teams across Asia and Africa. We are listening and learning from owners and users and supporting them to protect their donkeys and in turn their livelihoods.
Brooke has championed the essential role of donkeys in poor people’s livelihoods. We recently made a submission highlighting the impact of the donkey skin trade to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), after they called a public enquiry looking at Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition. Previous to this, our Advocacy team had already succeeded in having working equines' contributions to food security and nutrition officially recognised in livestock recommendations formally endorsed by the CFS.
Our submission was accepted and the CFS has now published the results of their enquiry. We're pleased that this issue has been acknowledged and incorporated into the findings, and are looking forward to when it's presented during the the annual Plenary Session of the CFS, in October 2017.
We were supported by the governments of Senegal and Kenya, as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the U.N. We have also ensured that the donkey hide trade is included in the Emerging and Critical Issues Consultation by the CFS High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE).
In low and middle-income countries all over the world, working donkeys, horses and mules support people and industries in a variety of settings: from subsistence smallholders to the urban poor. They enable families access to food and healthcare and help keep children in education.
They offer women financial independence and relief from the drudgery of daily chores. They work alongside their owners in some of the most exploitative and treacherous environments such as brick kilns, construction sites and mines. They bring their owners respect and appreciation within their communities.
Despite their essential role in supporting the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, working animals are virtually invisible in development policy and programming.
This means their needs do not feature in livestock related intervention and policies. For example, equine drugs are often not available, health professionals are not trained in equine health and livestock vaccination campaigns do not extend to working equids. This is detrimental to animals as well as to the people who rely on them.
Irrespective of whether or not people agree with the use of donkey products, it is vital that the welfare of donkeys involved is properly addressed. International Brooke teams are working together and collaborating with governments and other stakeholders to tackle this issue.
Petra Ingram, Chief Executive of Brooke said:
“The effect we’re seeing on the African donkey population is proving even greater than we originally feared. Alarming reports have been coming in from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, and it’s clear that it is affecting the people who rely on donkeys to support their livelihoods.
“The suffering taking place is stark, and it is unacceptable. We are against all these illegal activities, and are taking steps to do everything in our power to prevent it. We have already funded a study looking at new slaughterhouses in Kenya, and are waiting for the results. This will help us to better understand the issue.
“Brooke strongly believes that the lifetime value of donkeys in their contribution to community livelihoods is worth more than being sold for their meat or hides. In taking away someone’s donkey, it can mean taking away their means of making a living, potentially for a dangerously long time.
Brooke is working on a country by country basis, with national governments and donkey owning communities as they struggle to protect the welfare of donkeys and people’s livelihoods in the face of this growing challenge.
We have funded a study carried out by an organisation called GardenVet in Kenya. They have documented the impact of the donkey trade and slaughter process on donkey welfare in Kenya and to identify areas that need improvement to conform to donkey welfare best practices. The full results are expected soon, and will help us decide on what the next steps should be.
On 29 March, Brooke East Africa organised a national workshop and talks in Kenya to deliberate on donkey slaughter, its impact to animals and communities, and the best way of tackling the challenges.
Over 60 delegates attended, and they presented research on the issues. The team secured commitments from the government, other animal welfare organisations and community members on what can be done to minimise the negative impacts of the trade.
On Wednesday, 26 April, Samuel Theuri, Advocacy Officer from Brooke East Africa presented at The Kenya Veterinary Association’s (KVA) annual conference, this year celebrating 50 years of Veterinary Contribution to Sustainable Livelihoods and growth in developing economies.
This conference brings together animal health professionals to discuss the latest news and research.
One of the big subjects at the conference was the issue of donkey skin export, and the increase in theft of donkeys for their hides.
Samuel reported that Brooke East Africa and partners have found that almost 1000 donkeys have been stolen across Kenya between December 2016 and April 2017, and it’s likely that the slaughter methods used are extremely distressing for the donkeys and not welfare friendly.
As well as the obvious impact on the donkeys, this is also leaving many owners suddenly without the animal they need most for earning a living. A donkey helps an owner earn the equivalent of £4-£10, and it’s estimated that donkeys provide the equivalent of £3.7m in contribution to the economy.
Samuel also explained that because of the demand, donkeys have doubled in price, from 7,000 Kenyan Shillings in 2014 to 15, 000 in 2017 making them unaffordable to those who lose their donkey.
To date, the trade of donkeys for their hides is banned in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Last week an abattoir in Ethiopia was closed down by local authorities.
A major concern however is that trade continues on the black market and there is increased trade in other African countries.
Brooke as a whole continues to monitor this global issue and is working with its teams across Asia and Africa. We are listening and learning from owners and users and supporting them to protect their donkeys and in turn their livelihoods.
Brooke has championed the essential role of donkeys in poor people’s livelihoods. We recently made a submission highlighting the impact of the donkey skin trade to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS) High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE), after they called a public enquiry looking at Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition. Previous to this, our Advocacy team had already succeeded in having working equines' contributions to food security and nutrition officially recognised in livestock recommendations formally endorsed by the CFS.
Our submission was accepted and the CFS has now published the results of their enquiry. We're pleased that this issue has been acknowledged and incorporated into the findings, and are looking forward to when it's presented during the the annual Plenary Session of the CFS, in October 2017.
We were supported by the governments of Senegal and Kenya, as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the U.N. We have also ensured that the donkey hide trade is included in the Emerging and Critical Issues Consultation by the CFS High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE).
In low and middle-income countries all over the world, working donkeys, horses and mules support people and industries in a variety of settings: from subsistence smallholders to the urban poor. They enable families access to food and healthcare and help keep children in education.
They offer women financial independence and relief from the drudgery of daily chores. They work alongside their owners in some of the most exploitative and treacherous environments such as brick kilns, construction sites and mines. They bring their owners respect and appreciation within their communities.
Despite their essential role in supporting the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, working animals are virtually invisible in development policy and programming.
This means their needs do not feature in livestock related intervention and policies. For example, equine drugs are often not available, health professionals are not trained in equine health and livestock vaccination campaigns do not extend to working equids. This is detrimental to animals as well as to the people who rely on them.
Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Ethiopian Airlines And Singapore Airlines Codeshare
Star Alliance members, Ethiopian Airlines and Singapore Airlines will expand their existing codeshare agreement as of 01st of June 2017, offering customers travelling between Africa and Asia seamless connectivity options.
Ethiopian Airlines’ daily non-stop services to Singapore from Addis Ababa, due to be launched in June 2017, will be covered by the expanded codeshare agreement.
Under the new agreement, Ethiopian Airlines customers will be able to access multiple destinations in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam across Singapore Airlines’ wide network.
In turn, Singapore Airlines customers will enjoy access to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast intra-African network including countries like Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, The Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Mr. Girma Shiferaw, Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning and Alliances, remarked: 'I wish to thank Singapore Airlines for the successful completion of this vital agreement.
The two airlines will synergize their respective networks in Asia and Africa to offer customers the best connectivity options with one ticket and one single check-in at the first boarding airport. It will also play a critical role in enhancing investment, trade and tourism ties between a rising Africa, and a highly developed, innovative, and business-friendly Singapore'.
Singapore Airlines Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Mr Tan Kai Ping, said, 'We are delighted with our expanded codeshare operations with Ethiopian Airlines. This significant expansion of our important partnership is in line with our ongoing effort to continuously expand our network reach and to offer customers more travel options and convenience when travelling between Africa, Asia and Southwest Pacific'.
The airlines first began code sharing on each other’s flights to and from Dubai in 2011. The expanded codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals and will be progressively made available for sale across various sales channels.
Ethiopian Airlines operates one of the youngest fleets on the African continent with an average aircraft age of less than five years, serving more than 90 international destinations across five continents with over 240 daily departures.
Singapore Airlines operates a modern passenger aircraft fleet of more than 100 aircraft and together with wholly owned passenger airline subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot and Tigerair, the SIA Group’s combined network covers more than 130 destinations around the world.
Ethiopian Airlines flies three times a day to Entebbe and also operates multiple flights each day to Kigali, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam while serving the tourist destinations of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Mombasa too.
Ethiopian Airlines’ daily non-stop services to Singapore from Addis Ababa, due to be launched in June 2017, will be covered by the expanded codeshare agreement.
Under the new agreement, Ethiopian Airlines customers will be able to access multiple destinations in Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam across Singapore Airlines’ wide network.
In turn, Singapore Airlines customers will enjoy access to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast intra-African network including countries like Botswana, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, The Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Mr. Girma Shiferaw, Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning and Alliances, remarked: 'I wish to thank Singapore Airlines for the successful completion of this vital agreement.
The two airlines will synergize their respective networks in Asia and Africa to offer customers the best connectivity options with one ticket and one single check-in at the first boarding airport. It will also play a critical role in enhancing investment, trade and tourism ties between a rising Africa, and a highly developed, innovative, and business-friendly Singapore'.
Singapore Airlines Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Mr Tan Kai Ping, said, 'We are delighted with our expanded codeshare operations with Ethiopian Airlines. This significant expansion of our important partnership is in line with our ongoing effort to continuously expand our network reach and to offer customers more travel options and convenience when travelling between Africa, Asia and Southwest Pacific'.
The airlines first began code sharing on each other’s flights to and from Dubai in 2011. The expanded codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals and will be progressively made available for sale across various sales channels.
Ethiopian Airlines operates one of the youngest fleets on the African continent with an average aircraft age of less than five years, serving more than 90 international destinations across five continents with over 240 daily departures.
Singapore Airlines operates a modern passenger aircraft fleet of more than 100 aircraft and together with wholly owned passenger airline subsidiaries SilkAir, Scoot and Tigerair, the SIA Group’s combined network covers more than 130 destinations around the world.
Ethiopian Airlines flies three times a day to Entebbe and also operates multiple flights each day to Kigali, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam while serving the tourist destinations of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and Mombasa too.
Monday, 5 September 2016
Shea Trea And Shea Nuts In Africa
Shea butter is also edible and may be used in food preparation; it is sometimes used in the manufacture of chocolate.The bark of the tree is also used as an ingredient in traditional medicines and the shell of nut is said to be able to repel mosquitoes and is also said to protect existing trees.
Shea nuts are important in the economy of Burkina Faso. It is the country's third most important export, after cotton and livestock. In 1997, an average tonne of unprocessed shea nuts sold domestically for CFA700,000 (US$980) and overseas for CFA1,000,000 (US$1400).The most important centres of shea butter production are in Sissili Province and Ziro Province.
Shea butter is an oil extract from the kernel of the sheanut produce of the shea tree Vitellaria paradoxa.
It grows profusely in the wild without any special nourishment and attention. Every part of this indigenous tree is found to be useful. Its distribution is exclusive to sub-Saharan West Africa in the savannas, particularly in Burkina Faso where it provides economic sustenance to rural women. Its distribution extends from Senegal to Ethiopia and Uganda over stretch of savanna nearly a thousand kilometers long covering an area of 1 million square km of wooded grassland (about 500 million trees) across 19 countries of the region.
The shea tree, though slow in its initial growth, has a useful fruit bearing life span of 15–20 years. Under indigenous farming system when clearing land for other agricultural activities, Shea trees are preserved and its exclusive plantation is restricted to avoid shading of other crops; however the operations of weeding and management of soil fertility adopted for other crops also facilitates shea tree growth.
The shea fruit matures into the shea nut which has the shea kernel within it. The kernel is the source of the shea butter that is extracted through an arduous several hours of processing, over 22 steps, to produce 1 kg of the butter. In Burkina Faso, an impoverished country, it is the exclusive prerogative of rural women who number from 300,000 to 400,000. In the local Dioula language it is known as "Si" [shi].
The fruits are shaped like large plums and have smooth skin with an egg-shaped nut with the kernel that yields the fatty shea butter.
The product that is extracted as fat from the kernel of the shea nuts, which has five primary fatty acids namely, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidic; stearic and oleic acids constitute 85–90% of the fatty acids. Though a fat, it is not extracted in a fluid state like other oils, but is processed in the form of a white, odourless, and nearly tasteless creamy paste or similar to firm butter.
The shea butter produced in the Mossi plateau region of Burkina Faso has higher average stearic acid percentage and is thus harder than the shea butter from other West African regions; this is due to scientific inference that the phenolic content in shea kernels varies from region to region.
The quality of shea nuts and butter, both of which are also exported in large quantities from Burkina Faso, are basically dependent upon post harvest processing; in this process parboiling of shea nuts is carried out at the beginning of the season as it the eliminates germination and helps in faster drying. Better quality is obtained by sun-drying of the shea nut since smoking the nuts over a fire contaminates it with hydrocarbons.
Soap manufacturers use it typically in small amounts as it has the property of leaving a small amount of oil in the soap. Other uses include as a waterproofing wax, for hairdressing and for candle-making.
Its export potential is on account of its industrial production in Europe for separation into stearin for use with "cocoa butter equivalents or improvers and margarines, and an oil fraction used as a low-value base for margarines and as a component of animal feeds." Its use is also noted in traditional African percussion instruments to increase the durability of wood, dried calabash gourds, and leather tuning straps.
Bark of the tree is used to cure ailments in skin treatment in children and treat minor scratches and cuts.Shea unsaponifiables are used as anti-inflammatory treatment for arthritis and a topical treatment for excema and other skin conditions including herpes lesions. A patented product "nutraceutical" is a shea product that has been developed for lowering cholesterol in humans.Its use as a base for medicinal ointments, has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory, emollient and humectant properties.
In Burkina Faso, women have traditionally played a stellar role in the extraction of shea butter, right from the stage of collection of shea nuts to its final processing into shea butter. However, the improved economic conditions of the shea trade had not permeated to benefit them and as result their participation had remained restricted to their local markets, while the men had garnered the large export market to Europe for the cosmetic industry; the wide disparity in returns to the local women is reflected in the fact that a tonne of unprocessed shea nuts which sold in 1997 locally for CFA700,000 (US$980) and exported at CFA1,000,000 (US$1400) sold at CFA1,048,000 (US$2072) once processed into shea butter; a kilo of butter which sold locally at only a paltry equivalent of 60 cents to the women was worth two to three times as much in the international market.
The export earnings were boosted due to shea butter’s use in cosmetics (for lotions, creams, soaps and other products) by well-known firms such as L'Oréal, The Body Shop and L'Occitane en Provence. These exports were monitored by UNIFEM to ensure benefits flowed directly to the local women involved in the industry; the L'Occitane purchase was engineered directly, bypassing middlemen, through the Union des groupements Kiswendsida (UGK), a network of more than 100 shea groups set up in Burkina Faso.
As a result, shea butter exports for L'Occitane alone recorded an increase from 60 tonnes in 2001 to 90 tonnes in 2002, with greater share of the spoils reaching the women who produced it. The women were also trained in the trade to produce better quality product, as quality had declined in the recent past. This women empowerment process has imparted "a certain sense of self-respect among the workers. It has also helped the women producers earn the respect of their family and the right to speak out in the community."
Saturday, 16 January 2016
BURKINA FASO: 126 Hostages Rescued,Three Militants Killed At Splendid Hotel Attack
Flames can be seen near the Splendid Hotel.
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/afp/2016/01/16/07/54/shots-explosions-heard-from-major-ouagadougou-hotel-afp#HSX13YmWq3eFr3uQ.99
A total of 126 people have been freed and three jihadists killed following an assault by security forces on the Burkina Faso hotel and restaurant that were attacked by Al-Qaeda-linked gunmen.
The country’s interior minister said another assault was now ongoing at another hotel.
"One hundred and twenty six people including 33 wounded have been freed," Simon Compaore said
“Three jihadists an Arab and two black Africans were killed.
"The attacks on the Splendid Hotel and the Cappuccino (restaurant opposite) are over. But an assault of is ongoing at the Hotel Ybi next to the Cappuccino.”
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the hotel attack, which killed at least 20.
Earlier, security forces surrounded the Splendid Hotel ready to retake the building, which is frequented by westerners, the country's foreign minister Alpha Barry said in a telephone interview.
Following a firefight, they were able to initially recover 63 hostages, including the wounded.
"There are some dead but we don't have the numbers. The assault is ongoing with the Burkinabe forces supported by French special forces," communication minister Remis Dandjinou said, adding that among those rescued was labour minister Clement Sawadogo.
The Cappuccino Splendid cafe-restaurant opposite the hotel, also popular with westerners, was also targeted in the terror attack.
Medical personnel moved wounded away from the front of the hotel.
A US defence official said France had requested US intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city and at least one US military member in Burkina Faso was giving "advice and assistance" to French forces at the hotel.
The government has not ruled out calling for help from French special forces stationed in the country, Mr Barry said in a telephone interview.
The assault in Ouagadougou began mid-evening and by 11pm (2300 GMT) the sounds of gunfire and explosions had died down.
"For the dead, we do not have a precise figure, but there are at least 20 dead," said Robert Sangare, the head of Yalgado Ouedraogo hospital.
"We have had at least 15 wounded with bullet wounds and others who suffered injuries during the panic to escape."
Dr Sangare said one European woman being treated at the hospital told him the attackers appeared to target white people.
The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across West Africa's vast, arid Sahel region.
This is the first time Islamist militants have carried out an assault in the capital of Burkina Faso.
The attack comes less than two months after a jihadist attack at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Malian capital Bamako on November 20 in which 20 people died including 14 foreigners.
Last month Burkina Faso swore in Roch Marc Christian Kabore as president, completing the troubled West African state's transition after the overthrow of its longtime ruler, Blaise Compaore in 2014 and a failed coup attempt in September.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in October 2014 when Compaore sought to extend his rule, forcing him to step down after ruling the poor, landlocked country with an iron fist for 27 years.
Kabore, 58, becomes only the third civilian president of the nine who have held power since the country's independence from France in 1960.
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/afp/2016/01/16/07/54/shots-explosions-heard-from-major-ouagadougou-hotel-afp#HSX13YmWq3eFr3uQ.99
The country’s interior minister said another assault was now ongoing at another hotel.
"One hundred and twenty six people including 33 wounded have been freed," Simon Compaore said
“Three jihadists an Arab and two black Africans were killed.
"The attacks on the Splendid Hotel and the Cappuccino (restaurant opposite) are over. But an assault of is ongoing at the Hotel Ybi next to the Cappuccino.”
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has claimed responsibility for the hotel attack, which killed at least 20.
Earlier, security forces surrounded the Splendid Hotel ready to retake the building, which is frequented by westerners, the country's foreign minister Alpha Barry said in a telephone interview.
Following a firefight, they were able to initially recover 63 hostages, including the wounded.
"There are some dead but we don't have the numbers. The assault is ongoing with the Burkinabe forces supported by French special forces," communication minister Remis Dandjinou said, adding that among those rescued was labour minister Clement Sawadogo.
The Cappuccino Splendid cafe-restaurant opposite the hotel, also popular with westerners, was also targeted in the terror attack.
Medical personnel moved wounded away from the front of the hotel.
A US defence official said France had requested US intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance support in the city and at least one US military member in Burkina Faso was giving "advice and assistance" to French forces at the hotel.
The government has not ruled out calling for help from French special forces stationed in the country, Mr Barry said in a telephone interview.
The assault in Ouagadougou began mid-evening and by 11pm (2300 GMT) the sounds of gunfire and explosions had died down.
"For the dead, we do not have a precise figure, but there are at least 20 dead," said Robert Sangare, the head of Yalgado Ouedraogo hospital.
"We have had at least 15 wounded with bullet wounds and others who suffered injuries during the panic to escape."
Dr Sangare said one European woman being treated at the hospital told him the attackers appeared to target white people.
The hotel is sometimes used by French troops with Operation Barkhane, a force based in Chad and set up to combat Islamist militants across West Africa's vast, arid Sahel region.
This is the first time Islamist militants have carried out an assault in the capital of Burkina Faso.
The attack comes less than two months after a jihadist attack at the Radisson Blu Hotel in the Malian capital Bamako on November 20 in which 20 people died including 14 foreigners.
Last month Burkina Faso swore in Roch Marc Christian Kabore as president, completing the troubled West African state's transition after the overthrow of its longtime ruler, Blaise Compaore in 2014 and a failed coup attempt in September.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in October 2014 when Compaore sought to extend his rule, forcing him to step down after ruling the poor, landlocked country with an iron fist for 27 years.
Kabore, 58, becomes only the third civilian president of the nine who have held power since the country's independence from France in 1960.
BURKINA FASO: Terror Attack On Splendid Hotel In Burkina Faso, Over 20 Dead
This is the Splendid Hotel That has been attacked this morning by gunmen.
Government says 33 hostages freed as operation is under way to end the siege of the hotel in capital Ouagadougou.
Over 20 people are killed and an unknown number of hostages taken in an attack on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Security forces in the early hours of Saturday began an assault to reclaim the Splendid Hotel and entered its lobby, part of which was on fire, witnesses said.
At least 33 hostages, including a government minister, were freed from the besieged hotel, the country's communications minister said, but other sources said at least 63 hostages have been rescued.
Diallo Ismael, a human rights activist, said that about 300 people could be inside the hotel popular with foreigners.
"The security forces are close to storming the building," Ismael said from Ouagadougou.
The interior ministry said that fire brigade has found around 10 bodies on terrace of restaurant opposite the hotel.
French forces also arrived in Ouagadougou from neighbouring Mali to aid the effort.
The director of the capital city's university hospital said they were treating 15 people, some with bullet wounds.
Police confirmed that there were hostages in the Splendid Hotel, and she said the military had surrounded the building following reports of gunfire and explosions.
The attack, she added, happened around 8pm local time on Friday.
Gunmen stormed the hotel, burning cars outside and firing in the air to drive back crowds before security forces arrived, prompting an intense exchange of gunfire.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack, SITE Intelligence Group, a monitoring organisation, reported.
Splendid Hotel, a four-star residence which is near the airport, is known to be popular with foreigners, including UN staff.
This is the first time gunmen have carried out an assault in the capital of Burkina Faso.
In November, gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, and took at least 170 people hostage.
After a nine-hour standoff with Malian and UN soldiers, most of the hostages were released - but 19 were killed. Two attackers were also killed.
Burkina Faso elected Roch Marc Christian Kabore as its new president in a historic vote in November, becoming the West African country's first new leader in decades.
Kabore's win marked the end of a transitional period after the overthrow of the country's longtime ruler, Blaise Compaore, in 2014 and a failed coup attempt in September.
Over 20 people are killed and an unknown number of hostages taken in an attack on a restaurant and hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Security forces in the early hours of Saturday began an assault to reclaim the Splendid Hotel and entered its lobby, part of which was on fire, witnesses said.
At least 33 hostages, including a government minister, were freed from the besieged hotel, the country's communications minister said, but other sources said at least 63 hostages have been rescued.
Diallo Ismael, a human rights activist, said that about 300 people could be inside the hotel popular with foreigners.
"The security forces are close to storming the building," Ismael said from Ouagadougou.
The interior ministry said that fire brigade has found around 10 bodies on terrace of restaurant opposite the hotel.
French forces also arrived in Ouagadougou from neighbouring Mali to aid the effort.
The director of the capital city's university hospital said they were treating 15 people, some with bullet wounds.
Police confirmed that there were hostages in the Splendid Hotel, and she said the military had surrounded the building following reports of gunfire and explosions.
The attack, she added, happened around 8pm local time on Friday.
Gunmen stormed the hotel, burning cars outside and firing in the air to drive back crowds before security forces arrived, prompting an intense exchange of gunfire.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for the attack, SITE Intelligence Group, a monitoring organisation, reported.
Splendid Hotel, a four-star residence which is near the airport, is known to be popular with foreigners, including UN staff.
This is the first time gunmen have carried out an assault in the capital of Burkina Faso.
In November, gunmen stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in the Malian capital, Bamako, and took at least 170 people hostage.
After a nine-hour standoff with Malian and UN soldiers, most of the hostages were released - but 19 were killed. Two attackers were also killed.
Burkina Faso elected Roch Marc Christian Kabore as its new president in a historic vote in November, becoming the West African country's first new leader in decades.
Kabore's win marked the end of a transitional period after the overthrow of the country's longtime ruler, Blaise Compaore, in 2014 and a failed coup attempt in September.
Tuesday, 6 October 2015
World's Unfriendliest & Friendliest Countries For Tourists
When traveling, some countries just don't like you. Or at least, it can certainly feel that way.
A new report, put out earlier this month by the World Economic Forum, has ranked which countries roll out the welcome mat to travelers and which give the cold shoulder.
The "Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013" ranked 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries.
Unwelcoming
Among the extensive analyses, one of the most interesting rankings was how welcome tourists are in each country, under the category "Attitude of population toward foreign visitors."
And the world's most unfriendly country, according to the data?
Bolivia took the dubious honor, scoring a 4.1 out of seven on a scale of "very unwelcome" (0) to "very welcome" (7).
Venezuela and the Russian Federation were next.
Interestingly, despite their huge tourist arrivals, South Korea and China tied with four other countries for the eighth least friendly spot.
At the other end of the scale, Iceland and New Zealand were ranked the world's most welcoming nations for visitors.
You can see a top 10 for friendliest and unfriendliest at the bottom of this article.
Strengths and weaknesses
The "friendly" ranking was just one aspect of the report, analyzing each country's competitiveness in travel and tourism. That competitiveness is "based on the extent to which they are putting in place the factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector."
In the overall Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Europe was the top region with the first five positions all held by European countries. Switzerland, Germany and Austria were the top three in that order. Switzerland has headed the ranking since the index began five years ago.
Excellent tourism infrastructure and facilities, business travel appeal, sustainable development of natural resources and rich cultural resources were among the key factors in landing the highest positions in the rankings.
Safety/security, underdeveloped infrastructure and concerns about sustainable development were among the factors bringing down countries' competitiveness.
Haiti scored the lowest on the competitiveness index.
The United States (6th) topped the combined Americas, Singapore (10th) just pushed out Australia and New Zealand to lead the Asia Pacific region, the United Arab Emirates (28th) was the highest performer in the Middle East and the Seychelles (38th) overtook Mauritius to head Africa.
The report emphasized the need for continued development in the travel and tourism sector particularly for its role in job creation in a relatively stagnant global economy. The industry currently accounts for one in 11 jobs in the world.
The report used data compiled from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey and hard data from private sources and national and international agencies and organizations such as the ICAO, IATA, UNWTO, World Bank/International Finance Corporation, IUCN, WHO and UNESCO.
Attitude of population toward foreign visitors
(1 = very unwelcome; 7 = very welcome)
Friendliest
1. Iceland 6.8
2. New Zealand 6.8
3. Morocco 6.7
4. Macedonia, FYR 6.7
5. Austria 6.7
6. Senegal 6.7
7. Portugal 6.6
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.6
9. Ireland 6.6
10. Burkina Faso 6.6
Unfriendliest
1. Bolivia 4.1
2. Venezuela 4.5
3. Russian Federation 5.0
4. Kuwait 5.2
5. Latvia 5.2
6. Iran 5.2
7. Pakistan 5.3
8. Slovak Republic 5.5
9. Bulgaria 5.5
10. Mongolia 5.5
A new report, put out earlier this month by the World Economic Forum, has ranked which countries roll out the welcome mat to travelers and which give the cold shoulder.
The "Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013" ranked 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries.
Unwelcoming
Among the extensive analyses, one of the most interesting rankings was how welcome tourists are in each country, under the category "Attitude of population toward foreign visitors."
And the world's most unfriendly country, according to the data?
Bolivia took the dubious honor, scoring a 4.1 out of seven on a scale of "very unwelcome" (0) to "very welcome" (7).
Venezuela and the Russian Federation were next.
Interestingly, despite their huge tourist arrivals, South Korea and China tied with four other countries for the eighth least friendly spot.
At the other end of the scale, Iceland and New Zealand were ranked the world's most welcoming nations for visitors.
You can see a top 10 for friendliest and unfriendliest at the bottom of this article.
Strengths and weaknesses
The "friendly" ranking was just one aspect of the report, analyzing each country's competitiveness in travel and tourism. That competitiveness is "based on the extent to which they are putting in place the factors and policies to make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism sector."
In the overall Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, Europe was the top region with the first five positions all held by European countries. Switzerland, Germany and Austria were the top three in that order. Switzerland has headed the ranking since the index began five years ago.
Excellent tourism infrastructure and facilities, business travel appeal, sustainable development of natural resources and rich cultural resources were among the key factors in landing the highest positions in the rankings.
Safety/security, underdeveloped infrastructure and concerns about sustainable development were among the factors bringing down countries' competitiveness.
Haiti scored the lowest on the competitiveness index.
The United States (6th) topped the combined Americas, Singapore (10th) just pushed out Australia and New Zealand to lead the Asia Pacific region, the United Arab Emirates (28th) was the highest performer in the Middle East and the Seychelles (38th) overtook Mauritius to head Africa.
The report emphasized the need for continued development in the travel and tourism sector particularly for its role in job creation in a relatively stagnant global economy. The industry currently accounts for one in 11 jobs in the world.
The report used data compiled from the World Economic Forum's Executive Opinion Survey and hard data from private sources and national and international agencies and organizations such as the ICAO, IATA, UNWTO, World Bank/International Finance Corporation, IUCN, WHO and UNESCO.
Attitude of population toward foreign visitors
(1 = very unwelcome; 7 = very welcome)
Friendliest
1. Iceland 6.8
2. New Zealand 6.8
3. Morocco 6.7
4. Macedonia, FYR 6.7
5. Austria 6.7
6. Senegal 6.7
7. Portugal 6.6
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.6
9. Ireland 6.6
10. Burkina Faso 6.6
Unfriendliest
1. Bolivia 4.1
2. Venezuela 4.5
3. Russian Federation 5.0
4. Kuwait 5.2
5. Latvia 5.2
6. Iran 5.2
7. Pakistan 5.3
8. Slovak Republic 5.5
9. Bulgaria 5.5
10. Mongolia 5.5
Thursday, 17 September 2015
BURKINA FASO: Military Coup In Burkina Faso, President & Prime Minister Arrested
General Gilbert Diendere, a one-time powerful aide to deposed Burkina Faso president Blaise Compaore, has been appointed head of a new military junta.
EU and UN demand army release detained president and prime minister as warning shots reportedly fired in capital.
Burkina coup leader tells French TV has no contact with ex-leader Mr Compaore.
"I have had no contact with him, before or after," said Gen Diendere in response to a question on whether Mr Compaore was involved in the coup, adding he had the full support of the army.
"All change of this type can lead to violence. I am conscious of that everything will be done to avoid violence that could plunge the country into chaos," Gen Diendere said.
One person has been killed and 60 people have been hurt in the coup violence, according to medics.
Earlier today soldiers fired warning shots at a crowd in central Independence Square of the capital Ouagadougou. Soldiers were driving down streets beating and detaining protesters.
Soldiers in the capital, Ouagadougou, fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of protesters gathered in Independence Square.
Sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from other areas of the capital.
Interim President of Burkina Faso Michel Kafando (R) and Prime Minister Lt. Col. Isaac Zida
Burkina Faso was due to hold elections on October 11 that many hoped would strengthen democracy. The transitional government came to power after the president of 27 years, Blaise Compaore, was ousted late last year in a public uprising.
General Gilbert Diendere, who for three decades served as Compaore's chief military adviser and operated an intelligence network spanning West Africa, was named as the head of a military junta called the National Council for Democracy.
What caused the coup may have been a proposal earlier this week to dissolve the old presidential guard that was loyal to Mr Compaore.
The guard has remained more or less intact even though Mr Compaore went into exile last year, and apparently fears the loss of their privileges. As members of the old regime, they are also banned from participating in the elections that were due to take place in October.
This shows how difficult it is to move to a lasting and fair democracy after you have had an authoritarian regime that was in power for so many years.
Compaore was in for power for 27 years, and even though he won elections in more recent times, what has happened today shows how difficult it is for democracy to take place after that kind of rule. It leaves a lot of people from the old regime who fear for their positions and prospects if democracy takes hold, and that seems to be what is going on here.
Is the guard working with Compaore's blessing? It was unclear at present whether the presidential guard was acting with Mr Compaore's blessing, or was acting entirely independently. But he said anyone who tried to subvert democracy in the country would come under huge regional pressure.
Quite apart from internal protests against the coup, which seem to have united most of Burkina Faso's politicians, nearly all Burkina Faso's neighbours in West Africa these days are democracies now and are signed up to basic democratic principles. The region is completely different to how it was in the 1970s or 1980s, when strongmen could more or less do as they liked.
Burkina Faso is also landlocked and very dependent on its neighbours. Those neighbours could even impose banking restrictions as Burkina Faso is part of the CFA currency region. If the soldiers try to hang onto power it could get very difficult for them.
French president Francois Hollande has said he sees no reason why the country would intervene in the coup despite his condemnation.
There are currently 220 French troops in the capital Ouagadougou as part of a regional force fighting extremists in west Africa.
France has friendly relations with Burkina Faso and we cannot just allow what is happening today, he added.
We have no reason to intervene, he said as France told its nationals to remain at home.
The interim president and prime minister arrested are in good health and will be released, General Gilbert Diendere said.
The general said the coup was launched because of the country's serious pre-election security situation. Elections were due to be held next month.
This military coup comes almost a year after a popular uprising in Burkina Faso ousted its long term president, Blaise Compaore.
Mr Compaore was aged just 36 when he took power in Burkina Faso, a landlocked French colony previously known as Upper Volta, and whose present title translates roughly as Nation of Incorruptibles.
He allegedly received training in the 1980s at the late Col Muammar Gaddafi's "World Revolutionary Centre", a school once described as the "Harvard and Yale of a whole generation of African revolutionaries." Among his fellow students were the Liberian warlords Charles Taylor, now serving 50 years in a British jail for war crimes, and Taylor's late ally Foday Sankoh, who led Sierra Leone's notorious Revolutionary United Front.
In 2000, Mr Compaore was accused by a British diplomat, Stephen Pattison, of sending mercenaries to fight alongside rebels in Sierra Leone against United Nations peacekeepers, in exchange for diamonds. Two years later, he was accused of funding rebels in the northern Ivory Coast.
He always denied the claims, however, and in more recent years, managed to re-invent himself as a regional mediator, acting as a broker in the peace talks during the conflict in Mali in 2012-13, where the north of the country was overrun by Ansar Dine, a Tuareg rebel movement briefly allied with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Ansar Dine representatives were invited for peace talks in the Burkinabe capital, Ougadougou, while Mr Compaore also offered his services in negotiations to free several Europeans held hostage by AQIM.
While his reputation as a mediator may not be that of Nelson Mandela or Kofi Annan, he proved as good as his word, despatching envoy to drive hundreds of miles across the Sahara's most remote and lawless stretches to hold talks with kidnap gangs on several occasions.
While there was often speculation that a prisoner releases or large ransom ultimately cemented the deals, the envoy could easily have been killed or kidnapped himself had Mr Compaore's contacts with AQIM been anything less than solid.
Blaise Compaore, the former president, had wanted extend his 27-year rule last year as he was coming to the end of his second five-year term.
Despite constitutional limits introduced in 2005, the country's legislature was going to assess a proposed amendment that would allow Mr Compaore to run for re-election in the following month.
He would have been in power for another five years but the opposition feared that it would mean that he stayed in power for longer seeking re-election more than once.
The former president was 36 when he seized power in a 1987 coup after Thomas Sankara, his former friend, was removed from power and assassinated.
On October 31, he resigned as president and fled to Cote d'Ivoire with his family. Amnesty's report from January this year says the family then went to Morocco before returning to Cote d'Ivoire in mid-December last year.
General Gilbert Diendere, Mr Compaore's former chief-of-staff, has been appointed head of a new ruling authority set up today after the country's presidential guard declared a coup.
He will lead the National Council for Democracy, it said in a statement.
A curfew is in place across the country from 7pm (8pm BST) until 6am tomorrow and land and air borders have been closed.
Francois Hollande, the French president, has condemned the coup and called for the immediate release of those arrested.
The president firmly condemns the coup d'Etat that has taken place in Burkina Faso, the French presidency said in a statement.
He calls for the immediate release of all people arrested, the reinstatement of transitional authorities and the resumption of the electoral process.
Yesterday, members of the presidential guard who are loyal to Compaore burst into a cabinet meeting and seized president Michel Kafando, Isaac Zida, the prime minister, and two ministers.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the EU have condemned the leaders' detention and called for their immediate release.
Compaore was toppled in October 2014 and fled into exile in Ivory Coast after an uprising triggered by his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.
EU and UN demand army release detained president and prime minister as warning shots reportedly fired in capital.
Burkina coup leader tells French TV has no contact with ex-leader Mr Compaore.
"I have had no contact with him, before or after," said Gen Diendere in response to a question on whether Mr Compaore was involved in the coup, adding he had the full support of the army.
"All change of this type can lead to violence. I am conscious of that everything will be done to avoid violence that could plunge the country into chaos," Gen Diendere said.
One person has been killed and 60 people have been hurt in the coup violence, according to medics.
Earlier today soldiers fired warning shots at a crowd in central Independence Square of the capital Ouagadougou. Soldiers were driving down streets beating and detaining protesters.
Soldiers in the capital, Ouagadougou, fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of protesters gathered in Independence Square.
Sporadic gunfire continued to ring out from other areas of the capital.
Interim President of Burkina Faso Michel Kafando (R) and Prime Minister Lt. Col. Isaac Zida
Burkina Faso was due to hold elections on October 11 that many hoped would strengthen democracy. The transitional government came to power after the president of 27 years, Blaise Compaore, was ousted late last year in a public uprising.
General Gilbert Diendere, who for three decades served as Compaore's chief military adviser and operated an intelligence network spanning West Africa, was named as the head of a military junta called the National Council for Democracy.
What caused the coup may have been a proposal earlier this week to dissolve the old presidential guard that was loyal to Mr Compaore.
The guard has remained more or less intact even though Mr Compaore went into exile last year, and apparently fears the loss of their privileges. As members of the old regime, they are also banned from participating in the elections that were due to take place in October.
This shows how difficult it is to move to a lasting and fair democracy after you have had an authoritarian regime that was in power for so many years.
Compaore was in for power for 27 years, and even though he won elections in more recent times, what has happened today shows how difficult it is for democracy to take place after that kind of rule. It leaves a lot of people from the old regime who fear for their positions and prospects if democracy takes hold, and that seems to be what is going on here.
Is the guard working with Compaore's blessing? It was unclear at present whether the presidential guard was acting with Mr Compaore's blessing, or was acting entirely independently. But he said anyone who tried to subvert democracy in the country would come under huge regional pressure.
Quite apart from internal protests against the coup, which seem to have united most of Burkina Faso's politicians, nearly all Burkina Faso's neighbours in West Africa these days are democracies now and are signed up to basic democratic principles. The region is completely different to how it was in the 1970s or 1980s, when strongmen could more or less do as they liked.
Burkina Faso is also landlocked and very dependent on its neighbours. Those neighbours could even impose banking restrictions as Burkina Faso is part of the CFA currency region. If the soldiers try to hang onto power it could get very difficult for them.
French president Francois Hollande has said he sees no reason why the country would intervene in the coup despite his condemnation.
There are currently 220 French troops in the capital Ouagadougou as part of a regional force fighting extremists in west Africa.
France has friendly relations with Burkina Faso and we cannot just allow what is happening today, he added.
We have no reason to intervene, he said as France told its nationals to remain at home.
The interim president and prime minister arrested are in good health and will be released, General Gilbert Diendere said.
The general said the coup was launched because of the country's serious pre-election security situation. Elections were due to be held next month.
This military coup comes almost a year after a popular uprising in Burkina Faso ousted its long term president, Blaise Compaore.
Mr Compaore was aged just 36 when he took power in Burkina Faso, a landlocked French colony previously known as Upper Volta, and whose present title translates roughly as Nation of Incorruptibles.
He allegedly received training in the 1980s at the late Col Muammar Gaddafi's "World Revolutionary Centre", a school once described as the "Harvard and Yale of a whole generation of African revolutionaries." Among his fellow students were the Liberian warlords Charles Taylor, now serving 50 years in a British jail for war crimes, and Taylor's late ally Foday Sankoh, who led Sierra Leone's notorious Revolutionary United Front.
In 2000, Mr Compaore was accused by a British diplomat, Stephen Pattison, of sending mercenaries to fight alongside rebels in Sierra Leone against United Nations peacekeepers, in exchange for diamonds. Two years later, he was accused of funding rebels in the northern Ivory Coast.
He always denied the claims, however, and in more recent years, managed to re-invent himself as a regional mediator, acting as a broker in the peace talks during the conflict in Mali in 2012-13, where the north of the country was overrun by Ansar Dine, a Tuareg rebel movement briefly allied with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
Ansar Dine representatives were invited for peace talks in the Burkinabe capital, Ougadougou, while Mr Compaore also offered his services in negotiations to free several Europeans held hostage by AQIM.
While his reputation as a mediator may not be that of Nelson Mandela or Kofi Annan, he proved as good as his word, despatching envoy to drive hundreds of miles across the Sahara's most remote and lawless stretches to hold talks with kidnap gangs on several occasions.
While there was often speculation that a prisoner releases or large ransom ultimately cemented the deals, the envoy could easily have been killed or kidnapped himself had Mr Compaore's contacts with AQIM been anything less than solid.
Blaise Compaore, the former president, had wanted extend his 27-year rule last year as he was coming to the end of his second five-year term.
Despite constitutional limits introduced in 2005, the country's legislature was going to assess a proposed amendment that would allow Mr Compaore to run for re-election in the following month.
He would have been in power for another five years but the opposition feared that it would mean that he stayed in power for longer seeking re-election more than once.
The former president was 36 when he seized power in a 1987 coup after Thomas Sankara, his former friend, was removed from power and assassinated.
On October 31, he resigned as president and fled to Cote d'Ivoire with his family. Amnesty's report from January this year says the family then went to Morocco before returning to Cote d'Ivoire in mid-December last year.
General Gilbert Diendere, Mr Compaore's former chief-of-staff, has been appointed head of a new ruling authority set up today after the country's presidential guard declared a coup.
He will lead the National Council for Democracy, it said in a statement.
A curfew is in place across the country from 7pm (8pm BST) until 6am tomorrow and land and air borders have been closed.
Francois Hollande, the French president, has condemned the coup and called for the immediate release of those arrested.
The president firmly condemns the coup d'Etat that has taken place in Burkina Faso, the French presidency said in a statement.
He calls for the immediate release of all people arrested, the reinstatement of transitional authorities and the resumption of the electoral process.
Yesterday, members of the presidential guard who are loyal to Compaore burst into a cabinet meeting and seized president Michel Kafando, Isaac Zida, the prime minister, and two ministers.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the EU have condemned the leaders' detention and called for their immediate release.
Compaore was toppled in October 2014 and fled into exile in Ivory Coast after an uprising triggered by his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.
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