Sankara murder trial: a witness charges Gilbert Diendéré
Gilbert Diendéré in the box of the accused, at the opening of the trial of the alleged murderers of Thomas Sankara.
AFP - OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Second day of appearance of witness Abderrahamane Zetiyenga, the same one who had discussed with President Thomas Sankara a few days before his assassination about the crisis between the four historic leaders of the Burkinabè revolution.
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With our correspondent in Ouagadougou,
Yaya Boudani
For the confrontation, they were three people at the bar.
General Gilbert Diendéré, the witness, Chief Warrant Officer Major Abderrahmane Zetiyenga and Ninda Tondé, the one who tried to convince the witness to give false testimony.
The confrontation between General Gilbert Diendéré and his ex-deputy, Chief Warrant Officer Major Abderrahamane Zetiyenga, was heated in front of the court.
Blaise Compaoré's ex-right-hand man has rejected all of the witness's statements.
Right in his boots, General Gilbert Dienderé rejected all the accusations against him.
“
Did you not take the initiative to arrest President Sankara
?
»Asks the president of the chamber from the start of the confrontation.
“
This is totally wrong.
I did not take this initiative,
”replies General Gilbert Diendéré.
“
Have you read the letter written by President Sankara
?
», Continues the military prosecutor.
"
No, I haven't seen her,
" says General Dienderé.
The witness immediately added: "
I really regret what the general said.
He did read this letter,
”continues Chief Warrant Officer Zetiyenga.
►
To read also: Trial of the assassination of Sankara: a former deputy of Diendéré accuses him of being one of the planners
"Attempt to arrest that would have gone wrong"
The military prosecutor relates that according to the accused, during a meeting on the morning of October 15, General Diendéré did not say a single word.
Statement rejected by the accused.
"
Then tell us what he proposed to defuse the crisis
?"
»Asks the witness.
"
I did not make a proposal because I felt that it was not for us to find a solution to this problem
", replies Dienderé.
"
General,"
insists Mr. Prosper Farama, one of the lawyers for the civil parties,
had you not explained to the soldiers at the rally on October 16, 1987 that it was an attempted arrest that would have gone wrong
?
"
"
Yes, but it was Nabié N'soni, one of the attackers who had entrusted it to me a few hours after the shots were fired
" replied General Gilbert Dienderé.
Verbal battle
Me Olivier Yelkouni, one of General Diendéré's lawyers, is surprised that the witness did not warn President Sankara's security when he was already informed of the planned arrest.
"
At the time, I had no means of communication and it was difficult to entrust this mission to a soldier
", underlines the witness.
For hours, the witness and the two defendants engaged in a verbal battle.
Sometimes forcing the president of the court to intervene to reframe the debates.
For Mr. Prosper Farama, this testimony is proof that General Gilbert Dienderé was involved in the coup d'état of October 1987.
Me Olivier Yelkouni, one of General Gilbert Dienderé's lawyers, qualifies
the witness's statements as
"
dubious
".
►
To read also: Trial of the assassination of Sankara: General Diendéré maintained his version of the facts
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