The former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, was sentenced, Wednesday April 6, in absentia to life imprisonment for his participation in the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara.

The former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, was sentenced, Wednesday April 6, in absentia to life imprisonment for his participation in the assassination of his predecessor Thomas Sankara. The commander of his guard Hyacinthe Kafando and General Gilbert Diendéré, one of the leaders of the army during the putsch of 1987, were also sentenced to life imprisonment. It took several years of investigation, the hearing of more than 110 witnesses and 6 months of hearing to get to this day, 34 years after the assassination of Thomas Sankara. No mitigating circumstances were retained for these three defendants, found guilty of "undermining state security", "complicity in murder" and "concealment of a corpse". They also lose all their military honors. #burkina #sankara #compaore