Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie visited a refugee camp in Burkina Faso housing refugees fleeing violence in Mali, and praised the country for welcoming the displaced despite its limited resources and battling its own insurgency.
Burkina Faso, like its neighbours Niger and Mali, is reeling from violent attacks by militants linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State that have killed thousands and displaced millions in the three countries.
Jolie said that she is here to show solidarity to the Burkinabe people who continue to welcome the displaced brothers and sisters despite terrible attacks and challenges, sharing what little they have at a time when other countries with far more have closed their borders and their minds to the refugees.
Her trip marked World Refugee Day, which is held every year on June 20.
The actress and refugee activist was speaking at the Goudoubou refugee camp, around 15 kilometres (9 miles) outside the northeastern Burkina Faso town of Dori, close to the Sahel tri-border area which has been the epicentre of the violence.
Burkina Faso suffered its worst attack in early June when 132 residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger, were killed by insurgents, causing more to flee.
Around 1.2 million people are displaced due to the violence in Burkina Faso, which is hosting over 22,000 Malian refugees who have fled similar jihadist violence at home. Around 11,000 are at the Goudoubou camp.
WhatsApp us