Thousands of protesters in Burkina Faso on Saturday demanded greater government action to counter jihadist attacks, as the armed forces hailed recent success against militants.

The protesters gathered in Kaya, the capital of Burkina Faso's Centre-North region, waving placards reading "No to growing insecurity" and "We want to cultivate our fields in peace".

The latest demonstration follows an attack on a police unit that claimed the lives of 11 officers last Monday, protest organiser Boukari Ouedraogo told AFP.

"We no longer want planes to bring back the bodies of our husbands," said Aguiratou Sawadogo, the wife of a soldier.

There were reports of similar demonstrations elsewhere, while the opposition on Friday called for marches nationwide to "protest against the deterioration of the security situation and demand strong measures".

On June 12, several thousand people demonstrated in Dori, in northern Burkina Faso, to denounce the inaction of authorities after a massacre in the village of Solhan.

At least 120 people died in the attack during the night of June 4. Local sources said 160 people died.

The armies of Burkina Faso and neighboring Niger had earlier hailed the results of joint operations against jihadist forces that have plagued the impoverished West African region in recent years.

In a joint statement on Saturday, the armies said they had killed more than 100 "terrorists" two weeks into a coordinated campaign along their common border.

Operations involving several hundred soldiers from each army had destroyed around 100 motorbikes and other vehicles used by jihadists, as well as capturing or destroying weapons, they said.

"These results have lived up to our expectations," said General Salifou Modi, chief of staff of Niger's army, during a visit to a military camp at Dori, the capital of the Sahel region in northern Burkina Faso.

A number of jihadists had also been arrested, he added.

The operation has focused on Tera and Torodi in Niger, as well as Dori, Mansia and Diapaga in Burkina Faso.

"In these areas, the populations will be left in peace -- at least for a while," said General Moise Miningou, chief of staff of the Burkinabe army. "We think that is what is essential.

"We are poor countries and our future lies in being able to pool our meagre resources," he added.

That way, he said, "we will get much better results. That's what has been done and we don't mean to stop so far down the right track."

The two countries have had to contend with repeated attacks from jihadists since 2015, which have claimed hundreds of lives and forced thousands to flee their homes.

The attacks have been attributed to groups affiliated to the Islamic State organisation or to Al Qaeda.

Sudan peace talks stumble over division of powers with Khartoum
Juba (AFP) June 26, 2021 - Peace talks between the transitional government of Sudan and a rebel group in the south of the country have stumbled over the delegation of powers from Khartoum, the group told AFP on Friday.

Talks in Juba, South Sudan, between the government and the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Sudan-North (SPLM-North) were adjourned in mid-June due to disagreements that were not specified at the time.

SPLM-North chief negotiator Amar Amon told AFP that while many topics related to the economy, security and politics were resolved, crucial issues like the delegation of powers between the central government and the regions were not.

"Resolving these issues is part of addressing the root causes of the Sudanese problems," Amon said in an interview with AFP on Friday evening.

The SPLM-North, established in the states of Kordofan-South and Blue Nile, is pushing for a decentralised political system.

The powers wielded by the central government in Khartoum are the cause of the conflicts that have afflicted the country for more than 60 years, Amon said.

These conflicts included the war of independence with South Sudan and the recurrent violent episodes in the regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur.

Another crucial issue that had not been resolved was of the integration of the country's armed groups into the Sudanese army, he said.

"We agreed that major national issues should be subjected to popular referendum in future," he said.

The interim civilian-military Sudanese government was set up after the popular revolt that led to the dismissal in April 2019 of former president Omar al-Bashir, and has made peace with the rebels its priority.

In October 2020, it signed a historic agreement with several rebel groups.

The SPLM-North has signed a separate ceasefire, allowing its fighters to keep their weapons "to ensure their own protection" until the constitution is amended to guarantee a secular state.

No date has yet been given for the resumption of talks.

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Militia frees six soldiers in east DR Congo: army
Goma, Dr Congo (AFP) June 25, 2021
A militia in the troubled east of the DR Congo has freed six soldiers it held for three months, the army said Friday. The move came after several dozen members of the Nyatura militia - one of scores that operate in the region - surrendered to government forces last week. President Felix Tshisekedi placed North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province under a "state of siege" on May 6 in a bid to clamp down on the militia groups. Civilian governors have been replaced by senior army and police o ... read more