July 7. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The leader of the Burkina Faso military junta, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, has called a meeting this Friday with several former presidents, including Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, whom he overthrew in the January coup, and Blaise Compaoré, who fled from the country following protests against him in 2014 and was later sentenced to life in prison for the 1987 murder of Thomas Sankara.
The Communication Directorate of the Burkina Faso Presidency has indicated in a statement published on its Facebook social network account that Kaboré (2015-2022), Compaoré (1987-2014), Michel Kafando (two transition stages in 2014 and 2015), Yacouba Isaac Zida (2014) and Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo (1982-1983) “are invited to this high-level meeting on issues linked to the nation’s best interests.”
“This meeting, important for the life of the nation, does not affect the legal proceedings against some,” he said, in apparent reference to the sentence against Compaoré, who has lived in exile in the Ivory Coast since 2014, for his role in the murder. in 1987 of the revolutionary leader and icon of Pan-Africanism Thomas Sankara in the framework of the coup d’état in which he was overthrown.
For his part, the Ivorian government spokesman, Amadou Coulibaly, confirmed at a press conference that Damiba “has initiated contacts for Compaoré’s participation in the reconciliation process in his country.” “There are provisions in place to ensure the participation of the former president of Burkina Faso in this process,” he said, without giving further details.
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. “The meeting between these three personalities bears witness to the head of state’s desire for reconciliation, for a united, determined and supportive Burkina Faso in the fight against the terrorist hydra”, underlined the transitional Presidency.
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 by Damiba 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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