Burkina Faso: No Indian killed in hotel terror attack

Accra (Ghana), Jan 17: No Indian was killed in the terrorist attack on Hotel Splendid in Ougadougou, the Burkina Faso capital in West Africa but two Indians, who were in the hotel at that time, were evacuated, the Indian Consul, Deepak Ramchandani told IANS on Saturday.

A terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda on Friday night attacked the Splendid Hotel and killed about 23 people from over 18 countries.

"No Indian died in the attack but there were two Indian nationals in the hotel at the time of the attack but they were evacuated later," Ramchandani said in a telephone conversation.

According to figures by the Indian High Commission in Accra, which has oversight responsibility over Burkina Faso, there are about 200-300 Indians living in Burkina Faso engaged in manufacturing, trading, and hospitality business. There are also a few engaged in the production of cotton and Agold.

Marcel Kabore, a local trader in Ougadougou told IANS that, calm has returned to the city after local forces killed some of the terrorist who had attacked the hotel on Saturday and freed more than 126 people who had been held hostage.

Local radio stations have reported that a group of extremists kidnapped an Austrian doctor and his wife at the countries northern border with Mali on Friday night.

There have been a swift condemnation of the attack.

"The perpetrators of the horrific attack in Ouagadougou on Friday night which deliberately killed and injured dozens of people from many nationalities and religions, show an utter disregard for fundamental principles of humanity," Alioune Tine, Amnesty International West Africa director, said.

"Over the last 15 months the people of Burkina Faso have shown enormous courage and determination in peacefully protecting their constitution, facing down a coup d'Etat and electing a new government. Their resilience in doing so will help ensure they protect their rights and freedoms again."

The regional political grouping, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said, it would do everything to end terrorism in the region. It condemned the attack and expressed its profound sympathies and solidarity against the injustice that had been done to the Burkinabe people.

IANS