Burkina Faso president fires PM amid security crisis

FILE PHOTO: Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore speaks during the 75th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, November 12, 2021. Julien de Rosa/ Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore fired his prime minister on Wednesday amid an escalating security crisis that has killed thousands and led to street protests calling for his ouster.

Burkina Faso, one of West Africa's poorest nations, has been beset by attacks carried out by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State since 2016, killing civilians and forcing more than 1 million people to flee.