Burkina Faso: Arrest warrant for Compaore issued

An arrest warrant has been issued for ousted Burkina Faso leader Blaise Compaore over his alleged role in the 1987 murder of ex-President Thomas Sankara, judicial sources say.

The popular leader’s 1987 murder is one of the most infamous assassinations of Africa’s turbulent post-independence period.

Burkina Faso: international arrest warrant issued against ex-president Blaise Compaore https://t.co/96oqgdX0bw

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A body believed to be Sankara’s was exhumed earlier this year and an autopsy showed it was riddled with bullets, strengthening assertions that he was executed in the 1987 coup that brought Compaore to power.

At least 10 others have already been charged in connection with his murder. They include General Gilbert Diendere, who led a failed coup in September.

Blaise Compaore who has denied any wrongdoing is in exile in Ivory Coast after being forced to resign last year.

The charges against Compaore mark a major step in the case as interim authorities prepare to hand over power to former prime minister Roch Marc Kabore, winner of the November presidential election.