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Roch Marc Christian Kabore

OUAGADOUGOU. – Burkina Faso’s new President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Tuesday urged presidents of African states present at his inauguration ceremony in Ouagadougou to form “a united front” against terrorism.

“We should harmonize our defense means to form a united front against terrorism,” Kabore said in front of over 5 000 Burkinabes and presidents of Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Benin, Togo, Gabon, Ghana and Guinea.

Burkina Faso, like many of its neighbours in the Sahel region, has been faced with terrorist threats for several months.

In mid-December, France issued travel advisories for its citizens not to visit the eastern part of Burkina Faso due to terrorist threats in this part of the country.

A convoy of vehicles carrying gold from northern Burkina Faso was attacked two days before the November 29 elections by unknown armed assailants.

On the same day, five individuals suspected of belonging to a terrorist group were arrested in Pakala, a village situated in the east of the country.

Burkina Faso’s parliament recently passed a law stating that anyone found guilty of involvement in terrorism could either face a maximum life sentence or serve between 10 and 30 years in prison. – Xinhua.