Burkina Faso hit by protest against new tax

Thousands of civil servants in Burkina Faso marched through the capital Ouagadougou on Saturday to protest against a new tax on their bonuses.

Some chanted "bread and freedom for the people", saying they were being crushed by multiple taxes.

The authorities say they imposed the extra levy to bring the salaries of civil servants into line with those of private sector workers.

The government is struggling to pay for an ambitious national development plan and is facing a growing Islamist insurgency.