Hundreds of protesters gathered in the center of Ouagadougou chanting anti-French slogans and holding placards demanding French troops to "get out".

Hundreds demonstrated against France in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou on Friday, the latest expression of growing anti-French sentiment in the insurgent-hit West African country.

Relations between Burkina Faso and its former colonizer have soured following two military coups last year spurred partly by authorities’ failure to protect civilians from jihadist activity in the arid north.

Adama Sawadogo, one of the protesters present in the rally, said "We want... to show France that we no longer need her."

According to news media, the demonstration was largely peaceful and ended without any violent incidents.Many believe that the French military presence in Burkina Faso has not improved security.

France has deployed about 400 military forces in Burkina Faso under the pretext of fighting terrorist groups, which have killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million people, and increased food violence across the region.

Officials in Burkina Faso say investigations are underway to look for more than 60 women who were abducted by armed assailants last week.

Being one of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso has been engulfed with the influence of terrorist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh that have killed thousands of its citizens, creating one of the fastest-growing humanitarian crises in Africa.