U.N. Chief Dispatches Envoy to Burkina Faso

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday dispatched a special envoy to Burkina Faso to help end a wave of violence engulfing the West African country.

The U.N. special envoy for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, will be in Burkina Faso on Friday as part of a joint peace mission with the African Union and the West African grouping ECOWAS.

Ban is "following with great concern the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

The spokesman said the U.N. chief "calls on all parties to end the use of violence, exercise calm and restraint, and use dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues."

Angry demonstrators went on the rampage in Burkina Faso, setting parliament ablaze in a surge of violence that forced the government to scrap a vote on allowing President Blaise Compaore to extend his 27-year rule.

One man was killed in the chaos that erupted just before lawmakers were due to vote on the legislation that would allow Compaore -- who took power in a 1987 coup -- to contest next year's election.

Ban is "saddened over the loss of life resulting from recent events," said Dujarric.