Côte d'Ivoire confirms Blaise Compaoré's upcoming visit to Burkina Faso
Former Burkinabè President Blaise Compaoré, here on May 15, 2013, in Brussels.
AFP - THIERRY CHARLIER
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
While news of Blaise Compaoré's arrival in Burkina in the coming days had been circulating since Monday, Abidjan officially confirmed it on Wednesday July 6 in Ouagadougou.
Living in Côte d'Ivoire since his fall in 2014, the former president must participate in a meeting with former Burkinabe heads of state, under the aegis of the transitional regime, as part of a reconciliation process.
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With our correspondent in Abidjan,
Pierre Pinto
Not since his overthrow by a popular uprising in 2014,
Blaise Compaoré has set foot in Burkina
.
Eight years ago, the deposed president was welcomed in Abidjan by Alassane Ouattara, who granted him Ivorian nationality.
In recent years, several delegations commissioned by the Burkinabè executive have succeeded each other in Abidjan to study the possibilities of bringing Blaise Compaoré back to his country, within
the framework of reconciliation
.
But the trial for the assassination of former leader Thomas Sankara, then the coup that overthrew President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January interrupted the process.
This was finally revived by the junta.
At the end of June, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba dispatched the former head of state Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo to Abidjan, in a process which therefore seems to be on the verge of success, confirmed the government spokesperson. Ivorian, Amadou Coulibaly at the end of the Council of Ministers this Wednesday.
"
Following the contacts that the President of Burkina, the Head of State who is leading the transition, has had with Côte d'Ivoire, arrangements are being made to allow President Compaoré to participate in the reconciliation process that is under way in his country.
»
The spokesperson for the Ivorian government confirms that "there will be a meeting with all the former presidents of Burkina Faso, including Blaise Compaoré", but says he does not know the date
Peter Pinto
In April,
Blaise Compaoré was sentenced in his absence to life imprisonment
, during the trial for the assassination of Thomas Sankara.
Lawyers
for the Sankara family
called on the Burkinabe authorities on Wednesday to arrest him when he got off the plane.
In recent years, Ouagadougou has requested the extradition of Blaise Compaoré.
What Côte d'Ivoire has always refused on the grounds that it does not extradite its nationals.
This trip of a few days can therefore suggest that the protector of Blaise Compaoré received pledges on this point from Ouagadougou.
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To read also: Burkina Faso: the thorny question of the return of Blaise Compaoré, sentenced to life imprisonment
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Burkina Faso
Blaise Compaore
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba
Ivory Coast