{"id":223246,"date":"2022-04-28T23:24:52","date_gmt":"2022-04-28T21:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/guilty-verdict-in-sankara-trial-shows-power-of-activists-to-fight-impunity-in-burkina-faso\/"},"modified":"2022-04-28T23:24:52","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T21:24:52","slug":"guilty-verdict-in-sankara-trial-shows-power-of-activists-to-fight-impunity-in-burkina-faso","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/guilty-verdict-in-sankara-trial-shows-power-of-activists-to-fight-impunity-in-burkina-faso\/","title":{"rendered":"Guilty verdict in Sankara trial shows power of activists to fight impunity in Burkina Faso"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On April 6, 2022, a military tribunal in Burkina Faso found 11 men<\/a>, including the former president, Blaise Compaor\u00e9, guilty of \u201cattacks on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse.\u201d <\/p>\n

This marked a historic moment for the West African nation. The trial which began in October 2021 was intended to uncover the truth behind the 1987 assassination of Burkina Faso\u2019s revered leader, Thomas Sankara. <\/p>\n

In practical terms, the verdict may not have an immediate effect on the lives of the perpetrators. Compaor\u00e9 and his closest lieutenant, Yacinthe Kafando, were tried in absentia, as they currently reside in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire. Another defendant, Gilbert Diend\u00e9r\u00e9 is already in prison in Burkina Faso for attempting a coup in 2015<\/a>. <\/p>\n

But for the country of Burkina Faso, Sankara\u2019s widow<\/a> and civil society across the continent the verdict has enormously important symbolic power. It is an important step toward ending the culture of impunity that has shielded powerful men who have ruled since Sankara\u2019s assassination from justice.<\/p>\n

The historic verdict has established a public record and shown that powerful men cannot simply get away with their crimes for their entire lives.<\/p>\n

Sankara and Compaor\u00e9<\/h2>\n

Sankara<\/a> became president through a coup in 1983. He was aided in part by Blaise Compaor\u00e9, one of Sankara\u2019s military comrades. <\/p>\n

After renaming his country Burkina Faso (\u201cLand of the Upright\u201d) and implementing progressive reforms such as mass vaccination, equal rights for women, and anti-corruption efforts, Sankara became a symbol<\/a> for social justice in Africa. <\/p>\n

Unfortunately, he also became a target of Western ire with his anti-imperialist politics. <\/p>\n

On October 15, 1987, Sankara and 12 others were assassinated by a group of commandos while in the party leadership compound. Compaor\u00e9 took power as a result of the coup. <\/p>\n

Compaor\u00e9 ruled Burkina Faso for 27 years. In his first years in charge he quickly overturned Sankara\u2019s most progressive policies and cultivated relationships with leaders of terrorist networks operating in the Sahel. <\/p>\n

He won \u2018re-election\u2019 multiple times. He and his allies also evaded justice for Sankara\u2019s assassination.<\/p>\n

In 2014 massive demonstrations followed Compaor\u00e9\u2019s attempt to revise<\/a> the constitution to allow himself to run for another term as president. The efforts of the citizen-led movement Balai Citoyen (\u201cCitizen\u2019s Broom\u201d) led to Compaor\u00e9\u2019s removal from power.<\/p>\n

The movement was galvanised<\/a> by popular musicians like Serge Bambara (aka \u201cSmockey\u201d) and Karim Sama (aka \u201cSams K\u2019Le Jah\u201d), together with other activists in the country. It used the lack of justice for Sankara \u2013 and other killings such as that of the popular journalist, Norbert Zongo \u2013 as a catalyst for their demonstrations and movement-building.<\/p>\n

Without the work of Balai Citoyen and other civil society organisations, the trial of Compaor\u00e9 and his gang would not have been possible. <\/p>\n

The guilty verdict should therefore be celebrated as a landmark victory for democracy and people\u2019s movements in Africa that can serve as a model for others.<\/p>\n

Transition to democracy still in the balance<\/h2>\n

The verdict sentencing Compaor\u00e9 to life in prison may have beneficial effects beyond its symbolism.<\/p>\n

In effect, the guilty verdict and life sentence have shut the door on his political ambitions in Burkina Faso since he cannot return without fear of being arrested.<\/p>\n

It could also put an end to continued interference in the country. Some civil society leaders fear he has deliberately contributed to destabilising Burkina Faso since 2016 to pave the way for his return. <\/p>\n

The nation continues to face instability<\/a>, enduring attacks in the north along the border with Mali by jihadists linked to al Qaeda, the Islamic State group, other armed groups and highway robbers. <\/p>\n

Some terrorist groups are suspected of receiving support from Compaor\u00e9. <\/p>\n

Some also suspect the military junta that came to power in January 2022 may contain Compaor\u00e9 sympathisers. On January 23, 2022, a group calling itself the \u201cPatriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration\u201d <\/a> led another coup ousting the democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabor\u00e9. <\/p>\n

The conduct of the trial itself puts the new military junta on notice that mechanisms now exist to investigate and determine the truth behind leaders\u2019 crimes, even decades later. <\/p>\n

The trial\u2019s effect on the culture of impunity can also be seen in the fact that the current junta released<\/a> Kabor\u00e9, the ousted president, from custody the day after the verdict was announced. <\/p>\n

While ECOWAS and others had been calling for Kabor\u00e9\u2019s release from detention by the military officers who led the coup from day one, it was not until the guilty verdict was handed down that the junta finally did so. The timing suggests that the guilty verdict sent a signal in defence of the deposed president\u2019s human rights and personal security.<\/p>\n

The verdict may also help further the trial of Fran\u00e7ois Compaor\u00e9, who faces extradition from France for murdering Norbert Zongo in 1998. Zongo has long been an important figure<\/a> for citizen-activists in Burkina Faso. His work directly challenged the power structure through the publishing of investigative journalism intended to inform the people and cultivate demanding citizens.<\/p>\n

Engaged citizens and the way forward<\/h2>\n

Burkinab\u00e8 citizens watch with apprehension as talks about a transition to democracy continue. Burkina Faso has a long way to go to restore peace and security across the country. And the 2022 coup has complicated<\/a> the nation\u2019s ability to combat the terrorism and instability that have persisted since 2016.<\/p>\n

But the guilty verdict shows that the nonviolent activism of groups like Balai Cityoen are making a difference. Similar groups<\/a> across Africa have been paying close attention to Burkina Faso and the results of the trial. These include Y\u2019en a Marre<\/a> (\u201cEnough is Enough\u201d) in Senegal and La LUCHA<\/a> (\u201cStruggle for Change\u201d) and Filimbi<\/a> (\u201cBlow of the Whistle\u201d) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n

Activists in these citizen-led movements, connected through their music, journalism and civic engagement, continue to risk their own freedom and safety to push for change and fight against impunity within their own countries.<\/p>\n

Their work deserves the attention and support of the entire international community that supports human rights and defend democracy worldwide.<\/p>\n

Todd Laufenberg, a Master\u2019s student at the University of Arizona in the Human Rights Practice program contributed to this article.<\/em><\/p>\n

Source: The Conversation<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On April 6, 2022, a military tribunal in Burkina Faso found 11 men, including the former president, Blaise Compaor\u00e9, guilty of \u201cattacks on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse.\u201d This marked a historic moment for the West African nation. The trial which began in October 2021 was intended to uncover the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":223247,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4584],"tags":[3257],"class_list":{"0":"post-223246","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa-news-2","8":"tag-mypr","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/guilty-verdict-in-sankara-trial-shows-power-of-activists-to-fight-impunity-in-burkina-faso-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}