US News

Americans evacuated from north Burkina Faso after terror warning

Americans working in northern regions of Burkina Faso were evacuated to the capital Ouagadougou following a terrorism warning, a U.S. embassy source in Ouagadougou said Wednesday.

“There was information on a possible terror threat. As a precautionary measure, we chose to withdraw persons in northern areas,” the source told AFP, without giving numbers involved.

On July 1, the U.S. State Department issued a warning that al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was planning to kidnap an American in the north of Burkina Faso.

Americans working in areas near the Mali border were evacuated in vehicles organized by the embassy on July 3, a Burkinabe security source said.

There are around 250 Peace Corps volunteers in the West African country.

AQIM is active in the region, and the group is currently holding two Spaniards and a Frenchman as hostages.