Crime
Former president of Burkina Faso, Compaore gets life imprisonment
Former president of Burkina Faso Compaore gets life imprisonment
A military tribunal on Wednesday ruled that Burkina Faso’s former president Blaise Compaore be sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in a coup.
The charismatic Marxist revolutionary Sankara was gunned down in the West African nation’s capital Ouagadougou at the age of 37, four years after he took power in a previous putsch.
Compaore was charged in absentia along with his former Head of Security, Hyacinthe Kafando, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Both have previously denied any involvement in Sankara’s death along with 12 other defendants accused of involvement in the plot, three of whom were declared innocent on Wednesday.
“The court finds Blaise Compaoré and Hyacinthe Kafando guilty of attack on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse,” the tribunal said in its ruling.
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Compaore went on to rule for 27 years before being ousted in another coup in 2014 and fleeing to Ivory Coast, where he is still believed to live.
Fondly known as Africa’s “Che Guevara”, Sankara took power on a promise to thwart corruption and post-colonial influences, denouncing foreign aid as a control mechanism.
He rolled out mass vaccination against polio, banned female circumcision and polygamy, and was one of the first African leaders to publicly recognise the growing AIDS epidemic as a threat for the continent.
A former fighter pilot, Sankara won public support in the impoverished nation by selling a government fleet of Mercedes, lowering the pay of well-off public servants and forbidding first class state travel.
He cut his own salary, refused to work with air conditioning and jogged through Ouagadougou unaccompanied.
Critics said his reforms curtailed freedoms and did little to enrich ordinary people. But admiration remains.
Over the weekend, students gathered around white flowers marking the spot where Sankara was shot.
(Reuters/NAN)
Troops Repel Terrorist Attack on Forward Operating Base in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Combat Team 5 (CT 5) have repelled a terrorist attack on their Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Moriki, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack at about 1:00 a.m. on Friday, assaulting the base from multiple directions.
The sources said the troops maintained their defensive positions and successfully repelled the attackers after an exchange of gunfire.
During the incident, three civilians sustained gunshot wounds and were immediately evacuated to a hospital for medical treatment.
The sources added that the situation has since been brought under control, while security has been reinforced in the area to prevent further attacks.
Troops Repel Terrorist Attack on Forward Operating Base in Zamfara
Troops Intercept 11 Jerrycans of Suspected Smuggled Fuel in Adamawa
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted 11 jerrycans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, suspected to be smuggled to terrorist elements in Maiha Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the seizure was made at about 12:27 p.m. on June 26 by troops of the 247 Reconnaissance Battalion during a strangulation operation along the Maiha–Maiha Gari Road.
The sources said the smugglers abandoned the products and fled on sighting the troops, escaping into nearby bushes before they could be apprehended.
A total of 11 jerrycans containing Premium Motor Spirit were recovered from the scene.
The recovered petroleum products have been taken into military custody for further investigation and necessary action.
Military sources said the operation forms part of ongoing efforts by Operation Hadin Kai to disrupt the supply of logistics to terrorist groups operating in the North-East by denying them access to essential commodities, including fuel.
The sources added that troops have continued to sustain intelligence-driven strangulation operations across the theatre to block terrorist supply routes and dismantle their support networks.
Troops Intercept 11 Jerrycans of Suspected Smuggled Fuel in Adamawa
Troops Neutralise 2 Terrorists, Recover Rifles, Ammunition in Kebbi Operations
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY) have neutralised 2 suspected terrorists and recovered arms, ammunition and motorcycles during separate offensive operations in Kebbi State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that troops of Sector 2 established contact with terrorists at Sabarumawa on Friday during an offensive operation.
During the encounter, the troops nutrialised two terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, 143 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, nine AK-47 magazines and one motorcycle.
Military sources said the operations formed part of the sustained offensive campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and denying criminal elements freedom of action across the North-West.
The sources added that troops have continued to maintain aggressive offensive operations across the theatre to sustain pressure on the fleeing terrorists and consolidate recent operational gains.
Troops Neutralise 2 Terrorists, Recover Rifles, Ammunition in Kebbi Operations
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