This Monday, October 11 opens in Ouagadougou, at the military court, the trial in the assassination of President Thomas Sankara. It was October 15, 1987. Thirty-four years after his assassination, fourteen ...

Burkina: an exceptional security device for the Sankara assassination trial

During the trial, the entire Ouaga 2000 district will be under close surveillance.

(illustrative image) Ahmed OUOBA / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

This Monday, October 11 opens in Ouagadougou, at the military court, the trial in the assassination of President Thomas Sankara.

It was October 15, 1987. Thirty-four years after his assassination, fourteen people are indicted.

Over 20,000 pages of documents and numerous exhibits are on file.

For the proper conduct of the trial, exceptional security measures have been taken.

Advertising

With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,

Yaya Boudani

The various parties to the trial had to work part of the Sunday night on the case.

I had to pay a sum of 265,000 CFA francs just to make a copy of the file,

" said a lawyer.

According to our information, the file cannot fit in the trunk of a single 4x4 vehicle.

Over 20,000 pages of documents.

The file is larger, compared to that of the 2015 coup. Everything is there: the documents declassified by France and the other documents

", underlines our source.

Thirty-four years after the events, fourteen people are indicted.

But twelve people will appear.

Blaise Compaoré, the former Burkinabè president and his former security chief Hyacinthe Kafando will not be present at the hearing.

According to our sources, a list of about sixty witnesses is in the file.

►

Webdocumentary:
Who had Sankara killed?

Exceptional security measures have been taken for the smooth running of this historic trial.

The entire Ouaga 2000 district will be under close surveillance.

Traffic will be disrupted

" warns Captain Souleymane Coulibaly, member of the security cell.

Anyone wishing to access the courtroom will have to go through a search device.

All electronic devices, i.e. cell phones, cameras or any recording device, are prohibited.

Clothing, banners and placards bearing the likeness of the accused or victims are prohibited outside and inside the courtroom.

►

Interview:
Sankara trial: Blaise Compaoré “will flee until when?” Asks Mariam Sankara

Thursday, October 15, 1987. It is 4:00 p.m. local time. President Thomas Sankara and certain members of the National Council of the Revolution are meeting in a room of the “Burkina” building at the Council of the Entente. He is in sports clothes, because Thursday is “mass sport” day in Burkina Faso.

Alouna Traoré, who has returned from a mission in Benin, is the first to speak. No sooner has he started than a vehicle rushes towards the building where Thomas Sankara and his companions are. A commando appeared and shots rang out.

Don't move, it's me they need,

" says Thomas Sankara getting up, according to Alouna Traoré, the only survivor among those who were with the father of the Revolution at this meeting.

Sankara adjusts his tracksuit, remembers Alouna Traoré, and hands in the air, he leaves the room first.

Immediately, he is coldly shot on the porch of the meeting room.

Then his companions must go out in turn, under the injunctions of the attackers.

One after the other, they suffer the same fate as the president of Faso.

In all, thirteen people were killed on October 15.

Thomas Sankara, five meeting participants and five guards.

The bodies are buried in the night of October 15 to 16, in the cemetery of Dagnoen, a district east of Ouagadougou.

Burkina: an exceptional security device for the Sankara assassination trial

Burkina: an exceptional security device for the Sankara assassination trial

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest