50 arrested after Burkina Faso student protests

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Students in the capital of Burkina Faso have set more than a dozen cars ablaze after negotiations with university officials failed.

Police superintendent Patrice Yeye said Friday that two officers were seriously wounded in the unrest on campuses in Ouagadougou this week.

The violence began after university officials told the students to vacate their dormitories at the end of July and they refused.

Yeye says nearly 50 people now have been arrested in connection with the violent demonstrations.

The West African nation of Burkina Faso has been rocked by protests in recent weeks. In 2011 Burkina Faso saw uprisings for months after the death of a student in police custody.