Observers deployed at Burkina Faso polling stations

Some 3,800 election observers travelled between polling stations across Burkina Faso on Sunday as citizens of the west African nation went to the polls in presidential and legislative elections.

The observers, deployed by CODEL (Convention des Organisations de la Société Civile pour L'Observation Domestique des Elections), are civilians, but are in charge of alerting CODEL's situation room of legal infractions.

Mamadou Seck, deputy head of mission for technical assistance, said the opening of the polling stations was "laborious" because of technical delays in some stations.

Another issue was security, Seck said, with "intimidation made towards voters" and "pressure on polling stations."

In some cases the intimidation was so severe that polling stations were forced to close.

Maître Halidou Ouedraogo, CODEL's president said two closed in the east of the country near Pama because of "rumours of attack."