Fatshimetrie reports recent news about the adoption of a new law by the government of Burkina Faso. This law proposes an amnesty for those convicted in connection with the failed coup of 2015. The Minister of Justice indicated that these individuals will first have to acknowledge the facts, behave in an exemplary manner and be ready to be deployed operationally in the fight against terrorism.
In 2015, a group of soldiers from the country’s elite Presidential Guard, loyal to former President Blaise Compaoré, attempted to overthrow the transitional government less than a month before democratic elections. Compaoré had been forced from power in 2014 following protests sparked by his attempt to amend the constitution to extend his 27-year rule, before fleeing the country.
The week-long takeover attempt failed due to opposition from parts of the army and the population. Several high-ranking officers were sentenced to prison terms in 2019, and appeals are still pending.
This new amnesty law aims to address the slowness of the judicial system and unblock the situation. Those affected by the amnesty will be designated in an upcoming decree. Reactions to the bill have been mixed, with some seeing it as a positive step towards reconciliation, while others question its motivations and implications.
Following the failed 2015 coup, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré won the elections, marking the country’s first peaceful and fair vote in 50 years. However, he was overthrown by a military insurrection in January 2022, followed nine months later by a second coup, whose leader remains in power. The political situation in Burkina Faso therefore remains complex and volatile.