Ken Elliott and his wife spent 43 years running a hospital in west Africa before al-Qaeda extremists stormed their home and kidnapped them.
Many had supported a military takeover last January,frustrated with the previous government’s inability to stem Islamic extremist violence that has killed thousands and displaced at least 2 million.
In a swift coup,Burkina Faso’s military deposed the democratically elected president,arguing he failed to manage the nation’s terrorism crisis.
Experts say the continent is"very,very close"to where Europe was 40 days into the coronavirus pandemic.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. A number of Islamic extremist groups are known to operate in the country.
A survivor described the attackers,some speaking a foreign language and shouting"Allahu Akbar",as raking three busloads of mining workers with bullets.
The mining services provider said that 19 of its employees were among the more than three dozen people killed in the ambush of a convoy ferrying hundreds of workers near a Canadian-owned mine in Burkina Faso.
Gunmen attacked a convoy near a Canadian mining site in Burkina Faso,killing at least 37 people and wounding 60 others,the regional governor said late Wednesday.
The attack during morning Mass occurred in the country's restive north,where militants linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have recently gained ground.
Until now,extremists in the eastern part of the west African country have largely targeted security forces.
Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations with Taipei in May in favour of China - and they are reaping the financial benefits.