OUAGADOUGOU | Thirty years in prison were required against the former president of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaoré, accused of being the main sponsor of the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara, killed with twelve of his companions during a coup d’etat in 1987.
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The military prosecution asked the court to recognize Blaise Compaoré, guilty of “attack on state security”, “concealment of a corpse” and “complicity in murder”.
Driven out of power by the street in 2014, Blaise Compaoré has since lived in Côte d’Ivoire and is the great absentee from this trial, his lawyers having denounced “an exceptional court”. He has always denied any involvement in the events of October 15, 1987.
Thirty years in prison were also required against Hyacinthe Kafando, the former commander of Mr. Compaoré’s guard, another major absentee from this trial, because on the run since 2016.
He is suspected of having led the commando which killed Thomas Sankara and his collaborators and the prosecution demanded his conviction for “attack on state security” and “assassination”.
In addition to these two notable absentees, twelve other defendants were present for this river trial which began in October. The overwhelming majority pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, twenty years in prison were required against General Gilbert Diendéré, one of the army leaders during the 1987 putsch and the main defendant present. He is already serving a 20-year sentence for a 2015 coup attempt.
Several prison sentences – from three to twenty years – were also required against five defendants and one of eleven years suspended.
Finally, the prosecution requested acquittal, “for unconstitutional facts”, for three defendants and for “prescription” for the last two.
“Executioners”
During its indictment on Tuesday morning, the military prosecutor’s office traced the chronology of the events of October 15, 1987, the date of the fatal coup to the progressive leader and pan-African icon, who had been in power since 1983.
According to the prosecution, when Thomas Sankara went to the Council of the Entente, the headquarters of the National Council of the Revolution where the killing took place, around 4:20 p.m., “his executioners were already there”.
When Thomas Sankara entered the meeting room, “the commando split into two groups invested the place by killing the head of state’s guards. The commando then ordered President Sankara and his collaborators to leave the room. They will be shot in turn,” continued the prosecution.
Suspended after a military coup in Burkina two weeks ago, the trial resumed on February 2 with the pleadings of the civil parties which ended on Monday.
“After four months of debate, it is a feeling of relief that animates the families”, indicated Me Prosper Farama, the lawyer of the Sankara family.
“Alas, during this trial no defendant confessed or repented. Anybody ! We ask the court to bring justice to the families. We don’t want revenge, we just want justice,” he added.
The trial is to continue with the defense attorneys’ pleadings.