Blaise Compaoré, the former Burkinabè head of state in exile, is expected at the end of the week in his country despite his recent sentence to life imprisonment for the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara. The information relating to his “short trip” in Burkina Faso was made public on July 5, 2022 by the entourage of the former president, then confirmed the next day by the Burkinabe authorities. Under an arrest warrant, Blaise Compaoré should thus set foot on Burkinabe soil without being particularly worried..
A meeting “important for the life of the nation”
The former leader will attend on July 8 “a high-level meeting” between the five former heads of state still alive in Burkina Faso, according to the press release from the presidency published on July 6. A few hours earlier, the Minister of Education and government spokesman Lionel Bilgo had indicated that this meeting was aimed “to accelerate reconciliation and (at) pool energies in order to defend what is most precious, that is to say the land of Burkina Faso”, reports the Burkinabè newspaper Sidwaya. In power since the January 2022 putsch, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is trying to create a “sacred union” around him to help him in the fight against the jihadist groups that have been bloodying Burkina Faso since 2015.
In addition to Blaise Compaoré who fell in 2014, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, overthrown by the ruling junta, will participate in “this important meeting for the life of the Nation”, further indicates the press release from the presidency. But the meeting should not hinder “the legal proceedings initiated against certain”, we specify. In April 2022, at the day after his sentence in absentia to life imprisonment for his role in the Sankara affair, the lawyers of the family of the former president of Burkina Faso had demanded the extradition of Blaise Compaoré.
In a press release published on July 6, thehe group of lawyers for the civil parties again called “the judicial authorities to take all their responsibilities, in particular to arrest and refer” the former head of state. Le Balai citoyen, which led the revolt against Compaoré in 2014, believes for its part that “Impunity feeds terrorism”. “We keep on doing it (recall) for years, wanting to sacrifice (Justice) on the altar of politico-diplomatic arrangements and an alleged national reconciliation is a decoy, an institutional comedy which makes the bed of terrorism”, can we read on the Facebook page movement.
In the name of national reconciliation for his party
Today, for Blaise Compaoré, “the principle of a return is acquired. It now remains to refine the last modalities”specified a collaborator of the former president in an article by Young Africa dated July 6 (paid item). National reconciliation is also the argument put forward by the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), the party created by Blaise Compaoré, to end his Ivorian exile. CDP “calls on all the daughters and sons of the country to an appeasement of hearts and (at) move resolutely towards true national reconciliation to consolidate living together, in order to continue the fight for development”declared the president of the party, Eddie Komboigo, recently during a press conference in Ouagadougou. “(Blaise Compaore) left following the movements of October 30 and 31, 2014. He wants to return home. He must be allowed to return home! And all questions of reconciliation, justice, truth can only be obtained if he is there! But if we say he’s not going home, I don’t know how you can implement your truth, justice and reconciliation triptych!”, already insisted the head of the CDP in an interview with Deutsche Welle in 2021.
A junta sensitive to the Compaoré case
For the ousted former president, the coming to power of the military is like a godsend. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba served in the Presidential Security Regiment (RSP), the former presidential guard of Blaise Compaoré dissolved in 2015. According to Le Faso.net, the officer was ready to save the regime in 2014. It is today at him to decide the fate of his former leader while taking into account (or not) the aspirations of the Burkinabè. Lex-president could be arrested as soon as he sets foot on Burkinabe territory. “There remains the option of a presidential pardon, indicates RFI, as was already the project under Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. He could obtain a conviction, then a pardon to move towards reconciliation”.
A sick man
Blaise Compaoré, 71, is now diminished. According Young Africathe state of health of the “handsome Blaise”, as the former leader is nicknamed, “gradually deteriorates”. He “He is doing quite well physically, but his head has started to let go. His words lack coherence, he sometimes misses (…) He has a lot of memory lapses, confirms one of his faithful”reported in October 2021 the pan-African magazine.