Burkina Faso sets date for trial of alleged 2015 coup masterminds

The trial of the alleged brains of the failed coup d’ état of September 2015 in Burkina Faso, Generals Gilbert Diendéré and Djibrill Bassolé, will open on February 27, 2018 before a military court in Ouagadougou, the justice system announced on Monday.

Military Prosecutor Alioun Zanré said in a statement that the proceedings will begin on Tuesday, February 27 to prosecute General Diendéré and 83 other co-accused.

General Diendéré, who had led the coup d’ état, and the other persons being prosecuted were “charged with assaulting, murder, assault, willful assault, deliberate damage to property belonging to others, treason, incitement to commit acts contrary to the rules and discipline, violence and assault on others, or complicity in such offences”.

On 16 September 2015, soldiers of the presidential security regiment, the former Praetorian guard of ex-President Blaise Compaoré, tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the transitional government set up after the fall of Mr. Compaoré, who was driven out on October 31, 2014 by the street after 27 years in power.

The coup had failed thanks to a popular mobilization supported by part of the army.

General Bassolé, placed under house arrest, was charged with “treason” on the basis of recording a supposed telephone conversation he allegedly had with the President of the Ivorian National Assembly, Guillaume Soro, in which he appears to be asserting his support for the coup d’ état in September 2015.

AFP