Sankara assassination: soldiers accused of participating in the assault deny their involvement
Opening of the trial for the assassination of Thomas Sankara, in the banquet hall of Ouaga 2000, Burkina Faso, October 11, 2021. © AFP - OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Soldiers Idrissa Sawadogo and Nabonswendé Ouedraogo, experienced in commando techniques, were members of Blaise Compaoré's close security since 1983. Quoted by one of the drivers of the vehicles used on the day of the coup, they are accused of having participated in the assault on President Thomas Sankara and his collaborators.
Even if they admit having been on the site of the Council of the Entente on the day of the coup, they reject any participation in the attack.
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With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,
Yaya Boudani
Nabonswendé Ouedraogo was on the Council of the Entente on the day of the attack.
He said that Hyacinthe Kafando was at his foot on the ground and that it was a few minutes after his departure with a group of soldiers, all members of Blaise Compaoré's close guard, that the shots erupted.
As for Idrissa Sawadogo, he claims to have arrived on the scene after the shots, because being stationed at Blaise Compaoré's home on the instruction of Hyacinthe Kafando.
For Maître Jean-Patrice Yameogo, of the civil party, their story contains many inconsistencies. “
Did they participate in the coup or not? They seem to say that
"yes, we were at the Council of Understanding on the 15th, but we did not participate in the realization of this coup"
. We want to go to the end, because the file still has many nice surprises in store for us.
"
Master Zaliatou Aouba defends the soldier Idrissa Sawadogo.
She assures us that her client has remained constant in his account of the events of the day of October 15, 1987. “
He is very constant in his statements.
Since 2016, it is the same statements he made before the investigating judge, namely that he was not at the scene of what happened on October 15, because he had been assigned to another post by its manager.
"
During his hearing, the accused Idrissa Sawadogo described his leader, Chief Warrant Officer Hyacinthe Kafando as a dangerous, nasty man who was tough on his men.
"
Everyone was afraid of him and we did not discuss his orders,
" he hammered.
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To read also: Trial of the assassination of Sankara: a first accused tells the story of the events
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Thomas sankara
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