Burkina Faso has issued international arrest warrants and extradition requests for former ministers, ex-army officers and journalists living abroad in terrorism-related cases involving more than 45 people, the country’s prosecutor general said on Friday 13 November.
The announcement takes the cases to Ivory Coast, France and the US, whose authorities must now decide whether to act on the requests. The evidence has not been made public, and none of those named had responded publicly by Friday evening.
Who is named in the Burkina Faso arrest warrants?
P. Désiré Sawadogo, prosecutor general at the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal, told a press conference that more than six cases had been opened at the specialised judicial unit for terrorism offences, involving “more than 45 individuals as well as legal entities”, the African news agency APA reported in French.
Those facing arrest warrants and extradition requests include the former foreign ministers Djibril Bassolé and Mamadou Alpha Barry, and Newton Ahmed Barry, a journalist and former head of the electoral commission, according to APA. RFI said the list also names François Compaoré, the younger brother of former president Blaise Compaoré, several other journalists and former army and gendarmerie officers.
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the former transitional president, is under judicial investigation for alleged complicity in a terrorist criminal association, in the illegal possession of weapons and ammunition and in the financing of terrorism, the prosecutor said. Mr Damiba was extradited from Togo in January, according to RFI.
What are the accusations?
The prosecutor said investigators had gathered material implicating people suspected of links with armed groups, of helping to finance them or of spreading content that glorifies them. The alleged offences include complicity in a terrorist criminal association, financing of terrorism, illegal possession of weapons and the sharing of images and videos “with a terrorist connotation”, APA reported.
Defamation, undermining the morale of the armed forces and contempt of public authority are also cited. The terms are the prosecutor’s; the files have not been published and the allegations have not been tested in court.
The arrest warrants are not limited to Burkinabe citizens. Mr Sawadogo said an investigation covers the French broadcaster France 24 and some of its commentators, and that Burkina Faso wants Ivory Coast to prosecute Camille Makosso, an Ivorian social media figure. RFI said commentators who appear on its own programmes were also named.
Which countries have received the requests?
Most of those concerned live outside Burkina Faso. “International arrest warrants have been issued, and extradition requests and requests for international mutual legal assistance have been sent,” Mr Sawadogo said. APA said the requests went to the judicial authorities of Ivory Coast, France, the US and other countries.
Burkina Faso has also asked US authorities to approach Meta so that the administrators of certain Facebook pages can be identified and prosecuted and the pages removed, he said.
The prosecutor cited UN Security Council resolution 1373 and the 1999 Organisation of African Unity convention on terrorism as the basis for co-operation. He said he hoped the accused would be “prosecuted and tried in accordance with the law and with respect for their fundamental rights”. The quotes were translated from French.
What is the background?
Burkina Faso has been governed by the military since 2022. Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in September that year, removing Mr Damiba, who had himself led a coup eight months earlier. The country has fought armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State for about a decade.
The authorities suspended RFI and France 24 broadcasts in 2022 and 2023, and restored the death penalty in October, RFI reported. Whether the arrest warrants lead to extraditions depends on courts abroad, which generally examine whether a request is political before granting it.
The announcement came in the week that ministers of the Alliance of Sahel States, which groups Burkina Faso with Mali and Niger, met in Ouagadougou to discuss the bloc’s second year.
FAQ
How many people do the arrest warrants cover?
The prosecutor general said the cases involve more than 45 individuals and some legal entities. Not all face the same charges.
Who are the best-known names?
Former foreign ministers Djibril Bassolé and Mamadou Alpha Barry, François Compaoré and the journalist Newton Ahmed Barry. Former transitional president Paul-Henri Damiba is under investigation.
Have the accused responded?
No public response from those named had been reported by Friday evening.
Will other countries act on the arrest warrants?
That is not yet known. Requests were sent to Ivory Coast, France, the US and other countries, whose authorities have not commented.
