The former president, who fled the country in 2014, was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1987 murder of Thomas Sankara.
July 6. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The former president of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré could return in the coming days to the capital, Ouagadougou, ending his exile in Ivory Coast since his overthrow in the framework of a wave of popular mobilizations in 2014, according to sources quoted by the Radio station. France Internationale.
Sources close to the former president have indicated that the decision to return “has been made” and added that “the specific date of the trip is only expected.” Thus, they have indicated that the leader of the junta, Pual-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, wants to meet with Compaoré “within the framework of national reconciliation.”
However, at the moment the format or duration of the visit has not been set, although a second source has emphasized that “it is not a visit, it is a definitive return of former President Compaoré.” “It is his family, and more specifically his sister, who is handling this matter,” he has settled.
A military court in Burkina Faso sentenced Compaoré to life in prison in April for his role in the 1987 assassination of revolutionary leader and icon of Pan-Africanism Thomas Sankara as part of the coup in which he was ousted. The Military Justice reopened in February 2020 the investigation into the murder of Sankara based on a series of documents declassified by France related to the murder of the then president, a Marxist revolutionary who led the country between 1983 and 1987.
Compaoré, who has consistently denied the accusations against him, was sentenced in absentia and found guilty of “complicity” in Sankara’s murder. The Burkinabe authorities have not ruled on his possible return to the country, which would have to involve guarantees that he will not be detained to serve his sentence.
Damiba held a meeting with Kaboré on June 21 to address “security issues” and the transition process, amid increased attacks by jihadist groups. Former President Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo also participated in the meeting.
Also, the board announced over the weekend that Kaboré has been “fully released” after his arrest in the context of the coup and his move to house arrest in April this year. “The Government reiterates its willingness to engage in an inclusive dialogue and to act to achieve the success of the transition,” said the spokesman for the transition Government, Lionel Bilgo, adding that this decision “is part of a dynamic of strengthening social cohesion and national reconciliation”.
The coup d’état was perpetrated after a military mutiny in protest against insecurity and the lack of means to deal with jihadism, which is why the soldiers demanded the resignation of Kaboré and other high-ranking members of the security forces.
The African country has generally experienced a significant increase in attacks since 2015, the work of both the Al Qaeda affiliate and the Islamic State affiliate in the region. These attacks have also contributed to an increase in inter-community violence and have caused self-defense groups to flourish.
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