Burkina Faso urges polices to prevent violent extremism in Africa

Burkina Faso urged on Thursday governments in Africa to develop inclusive policies based on prevention to tackle violent extremism on the continent.

Security and Interior Minister Simon Compaore made the appeal in a speech at the opening ceremony of a workshop on violent extremism prevention in Burkina Faso as well as in the Sahel countries.

"Against violent extremism facing African countries, governments need to develop inclusive policies based on prevention," Compaore said.

African countries can generate and increase social exclusion by impeding poor people, women, young people, minorities and marginalized groups to have access to the advantages of urban life and justice, he said.

"Some use the conditions and the legitimate dissatisfactions of the others to develop theories based on the promotion of hatred and violence," he added.

The workshop in Ouagadougou gathers diplomats, representatives of technical and financial partners, international and inter-African organizations, civil society organizations and opinion leaders.

Like many African countries, Burkina Faso is facing terrorist threats since the attack that claimed the lives of 30 people in the capital Ouagadougou in January this year.

Since then, a series of attacks launched by unidentified gunmen have been recorded in the country, mostly in the northern region bordering Mali and Niger. Endit