Institut Français in Ouagadougou vandalised in Burkina Faso coup protests

Broken windows and doors, security guards' room set on fire, computer equipment burnt or looted, this is what the French Institute looked like after the protesters' attack on 12 October 2022 in Burkina Faso.

The French Institute, a major cultural hub in Ouagadougou was attacked after the coup in early October, that ousted Burkina Faso's Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who had seized power only in January 2022.

Employees and artists of the French Institute in Ouagadougou react to the destruction of the cultural complex.

Artist Kantala laments the destruction, saying that the arson will "set us back a bit". "People don't know, but the French Institute welcomes more Burkinabè artists than foreign artists [...] it's for Burkina so let's not confuse politics and culture" he adds.