Burkina Faso's former president Blaise Compaore sentenced to life imprisonment
April 6, 2022, 5:59 pm

Burkina Faso's former president Blaise Compaore sentenced to life imprisonment

Flag of Burkina Faso (File photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, Burkina Faso's former president Blaise Compaore was sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in 1987, a military tribunal ruled Wednesday after a trial that started on October 11, 2021.

It said that the tribunal also sentenced General Gilbert Diendere and Hyacinthe Kafando, a security chief, to life imprisonment.

Compaore, who lives in exile in Cote d'Ivoire after being toppled by public protests in 2014, and Kafando, who has been on the run since 2016, were tried in absentia.

Eight other accused were sentenced to terms ranging from three to 20 years in prison. Three defendants were acquitted.

Historical monument in Burkina Faso (File photo: Pixabay)

They were prosecuted for various offences, mainly attack against state security, assassination and concealment of corpses.

Thomas Sankara seized power in Burkina Faso following a military coup on August 4, 1983, as part of a military revolution that changed the name of the country Haute Volta (Upper Volta) to Burkina Faso.

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The Xinhua noted that on October 15, 1987, Sankara was assassinated in a coup that brought to power Blaise Compaore, a key member of the military revolution.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.