French embassy asks Burkina Faso for more protection after protests

The French embassy in Burkina Faso has asked the West African state for more protection after violent protests targeted the property last week, a letter to the government and a diplomatic source said.
In a letter to Burkina Faso’s foreign ministry seen by Reuters, the French embassy said Burkina Faso’s military police did nothing on Nov. 18 as hundreds of protesters violently attacked the embassy, throwing stones and other projectiles at its walls.
Some of the officers charged with protecting the embassy were captured on video playing cards as the protest unfolded, the letter said.
Anti-French sentiment and protests have surged this year in Burkina Faso, a former French colony where France maintains strong ties and has special forces stationed in the country.
Some of the protesters marched to the gates of the French military base, demanding soldiers to leave.