Two Moroccan cyclists reported missing in Burkina

A Moroccan diplomatic source said Friday that two Moroccan cyclists have been missing for several days on the border between Burkina Faso and Niger.

The two men, Abderrahmane Serhani (65) and Driss Fatihi (37), have not been heard from since they entered Burkina Faso from Côte d'Ivoire and headed across the border to Niger, the source said.

They had left Morocco on January 19. One of them posted a video on his Facebook account on March 29, in which he claimed to be heading to Burkina.

The Moroccan embassy in Burkina is in "close coordination" with the Burkinabe authorities to find the two cyclists, the MAP news agency reported.

The north of Burkina Faso has been plagued since 2015 by a spiral of jihadist violence that has left more than 10,000 people dead -- civilians and soldiers -- according to NGOs, and some two million displaced.