In the spotlight: national reconciliation underway in Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire
Audio 04:51
Supporters of Laurent Gbagbo, during the announcement of his acquittal by the ICC, March 31, 2021. © AFP - SIA KAMBOU
By: Norbert Navarro
10 mins
Publicity
Palaver tree on the pearl of the lagoons… Abidjan was the scene of two events linked to the expected national reconciliation: in Burkina Faso, first;
in Ivory Coast, then.
In the photo, Blaise Compaoré, emaciated, looks as if lost. To his right, Zéphirin Diabré, serious face, straight as an “i”. Between the two, the Burkinabè flag. Atmosphere ... The photo is of course on the front page of the Ouagalaise press this morning. This meeting aims to "
lay the groundwork
" for the national forum for national reconciliation that the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, announced for the first half of the current year, underlines the Burkinabè newspaper
Le Pays
.
Do you have atmosphere? "
We can easily imagine the atmosphere that prevailed between Blaise Compaoré and the minister in charge of national reconciliation when we know that then leader of the opposition, Zéphirin Diabré was the spearhead of the dispute which resulted , at the end of October 2014, with the results that we know,
states this daily Ouagalais.
Ironically, it is he who, more than six years later, is responsible for bringing people together in a country where resentment is still stubborn and mistrust palpable ”,
underlines
Le Pays
.
But beware, warns
Today
, “at a time when Burkina Faso, after 61 years of independence, begins a process of reconciliation, the real concern that arises remains to reconcile the pending cases in court with the necessary social catharsis. To do this, it is important to find the right formula so as not to twist the neck of Justice in favor of a "political arrangement". This is also the concern aroused by this interview of the minister in charge of national reconciliation with the former president,
estimates this other newspaper in Ouagadougou.
Voices are already being raised to warn against this shortcut that Burkina Faso has already experienced during the famous national day of Pardon celebrated on March 30, 2001, without real support from families victimized by several decades of violence. political violence and social injustice, ”
highlights
Today
.
National reconciliation also expected in Côte d'Ivoire
In Côte d'Ivoire, the minister in charge of this sensitive issue, Kouadio Konan Bertin, received a delegation of pro-Gbagbo exiles yesterday morning.
Returned from Ghana exactly a week ago, after ten years of exile, Justin Koné Katinan, accompanied in particular by Damana Addia Pickass and Laurent Gbagbo's sister Jeannette Koudou have respected the tradition, going to greet the Minister of National Reconciliation Kouadio Konan Bertin.
But it is of course the return of their mentor, the most illustrious of Ivorian exiles, Laurent Gbagbo himself, which interests the local press, and beyond.
Return of which one speaks, whereas its date has not been fixed.
In any case not yet.
The information is on the front page of the government daily
Fraternité Matin
.
"
Koné Katinan, Damana Pickass, Koudou Jeannette grateful to the Head of State
", underlines
Frat Mat
.
To that of this daily close to Laurent Gbagbo that is the newspaper
Le Temps
, Doctor Issa Malick Coulibaly assures us that "
Gbagbo's return will have an impact on the Ivory Coast
".
An interview taken up by
Le Temps
, and which was previously published by the Beninese daily
Le Héraut
.
At the ICC prison sentence for Dominic Ongwen
A 25-year prison sentence was imposed at first instance by the ICC on former LRA warlord Dominic Ongwen, for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Uganda between 2002 and 2005.
The court referred to a "
particularly difficult decision
" to take, due to "
contradictory
"
circumstances
in this case. Because if Dominic Ongwen committed crimes, he was also a child soldier - victim turned executioner. Reason for which the court retained neither the twenty years of prison required by the prosecution, nor the life imprisonment requested by the victims. Dominic Ongwen's lawyers, who had already appealed the February verdict against their client, now have a month to do so against the sentence as well. Are they going to appeal? In any case, the question posed by the press this morning is whether this trial will have an educational virtue and will be able to dissuade the apprentice executioners, even if they themselves were former victims.
The newspaper
L'Observateur Paalga
rightly recalls that Dominic Ongwen was one of those minors transformed into a "
killing and raping machine, he who was kidnapped around the age of 9 while on his way to school."
In 2015, on the other hand, he had had a grain of lucidity, showing wisdom by surrendering himself to the Ugandan armed forces and the American special forces.
Since then, he has meditated on his sad fate, haunted by nightmares, awaiting judgment
”.
It is done.
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Burkina Faso
Ivory Coast
Laurent Gbagbo
Ivory Coast Politics
Uganda
International justice
On the same subject
Burkina Faso: Minister of Reconciliation meets Blaise Compaoré in Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire: FPI GOR associates PDCI in preparations for Gbagbo's return
ICC: Dominic Ongwen, LRA commander, sentenced to 25 years in prison