BLAISE COMPAORE

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — Protesters in Burkina Faso demonstrated Friday against the return of former President Blaise Compaore, as the ruling junta faltered in its efforts to hold a summit on the crisis of jihadi violence. Compaore, the longtime military strongman ousted by a popular insurrection in 2014, returned to Burkina Faso Thursday to attend the unprecedented meeting with other former leaders. Junta leader Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba called the meeting which was to include five former presidents. But on Friday only two ex-leaders showed up for the meeting: Compaore and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who ruled the country for nine months between 1982 and 1983 when it was known as Upper Volta. Although in exile in neighboring Ivory Coast, a Burkina Faso court recently convicted him of complicity in the murder in 1987 of former President Thomas Sankara and sentenced him to life in prison.

Burkina Faso Ex President Returns FILE - Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore speaks to the media after a meeting with France's President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Sept. 18, 2012. Compaore, who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2014, returned to Burkina Faso for the first time on Thursday, July 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File) (Francois Mori)OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — Burkina Faso's former President Blaise Compaore returned to the West African country Thursday, the first time since being ousted in a popular uprising eight years ago. Compaore, who seized power from his long-time friend and revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara in a 1987 coup, ruled Burkina Faso with an iron fist for nearly 30 years. Junta leader Damiba came to power promising to secure Burkina Faso from jihadi violence but is struggling to stem the increasing insurgency.

Burkina Faso’s former President Blaise Compaore returned to the West African country Thursday, the first time since being ousted in a popular uprising eight years ago.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — A Burkina Faso military tribunal has sentenced ex-President Blaise Compaore to life imprisonment for complicity in the murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in 1987 and for undermining state security. Compaore was tried in absentia as he has been in exile in Ivory Coast since he was toppled from power in 2014. Compaore’s right-hand man Gilbert Diendere and former spy chief Tousma Yacinthe Kafando were also given life sentences. Eight other people were found guilty of a range of charges including giving false testimonies and complicity in undermining state security. Three were found not guilty including the doctor accused of forging Sankara’s death certificate to say he died of natural causes.

A Burkina Faso military tribunal has sentenced ex-President Blaise Compaore to life imprisonment for complicity in the murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in 1987 and for undermining state security

A Burkina Faso military tribunal has sentenced ex-President Blaise Compaore to life imprisonment for complicity in the murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in 1987 and for undermining state security.

Burkina Faso Military A Save Burkina Faso movement supporter holds a Burkina Faso flag after it was announced that Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba has taken the reins of the country in Ouagadougou Monday Jan. 24, 2022. More than a dozen mutinous soldiers declared Monday on state television that a military junta now controls Burkina Faso after they detained the democratically elected president following a day of gun battles in the capital. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia) (Sophie Garcia)OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — More than a dozen mutinous soldiers declared Monday on state television that a military junta had seized control of Burkina Faso after detaining the democratically elected president following a day of gunbattles in the capital of the West African country. “This is an opportunity for Burkina Faso to regain its integrity. Gunfire erupted early Sunday when soldiers took control of a major military barracks in the capital.

Burkina Faso Military People cheer in support of putschist soldiers near the national television station in Ouagadougou, Monday Jan. 24, 2022. Two mutinous soldiers told The Associated Press that Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is being held by the rebellious soldiers. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia) (Sophie Garcia)OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — More than a dozen mutinous soldiers declared Monday on state television that a military junta now controls Burkina Faso after they detained the democratically elected president following a day of gunbattles in the capital. Burkina Faso has seen a series of anti-government protests as anger has mounted over the handling of the Islamic insurgency. Mutinous soldiers told the AP that the government was out of touch with troops and that they wanted military rule.

Two mutinous soldiers told The Associated Press that Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is being held by the rebellious soldiers. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia) (Sophie Garcia)OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — Mutinous soldiers said they detained Burkina Faso’s president on Monday, a day after rebellious troops seized a military barracks in the capital, setting off a series of gunbattles in the capital of the West African country. Mutinous soldiers told the AP that the government was out of touch with troops, whose comrades are dying, and that they wanted military rule. About 100 military members have planned the takeover since August, according to one of the mutinous soldiers. “Burkina Faso’s army is profoundly ill-equipped and unprepared for the war it’s asked to fight.

Burkina Faso Military People cheer in support of putschist soldiers near the national television station in Ouagadougou, Monday Jan. 24, 2022. Two mutinous soldiers told The Associated Press that Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is being held by the rebellious soldiers. (AP Photo/Sophie Garcia) (Sophie Garcia)OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — A statement from the Twitter account of Burkina Faso’s president urged dialogue and invited the military to lay down arms Monday after soldiers told The Associated Press they had detained the leader in a mutiny. The soldiers put a man on the phone who said that they were seeking better working conditions for Burkina Faso’s military amid the escalating fight against Islamic militants. “Burkina Faso’s army is profoundly ill-equipped and unprepared for the war it’s asked to fight.

More than a dozen mutinous soldiers declared that a military junta has seized control of Burkina Faso in West Africa.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — (AP) — Fourteen people in Burkina Faso including former President Blaise Compaore are to stand trial Monday in a military court, charged with the murder of influential leftist leader Thomas Sankara, who was ousted as president by Compaore in a 1987 coup. Compaore is charged with complicity, undermining state security and concealing corpses, according to military documents seen by The Associated Press. Ivory Coast has refused to extradite Compaore since Burkina Faso put out a warrant for his arrest six years ago. The trial comes as Burkina Faso is experiencing escalating violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State, which has killed thousands, displaced more than 1.4 million people and divided a country once known for the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims. “This is an important victory for all those who fight against impunity in Burkina Faso," said Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights.

A military court in Burkina Faso has started the trial of 14 people including former President Blaise Compaore for the killing of influential leftist leader Thomas Sankara, who was ousted as president by Compaore in a 1987 coup.

Balkissa Barro, 10, center, walks to school with friends in the Burkina Faso village of Dori Tuesday Oct. 20, 2020. In Burkina Faso, worries over the COVID-19 pandemic come second to threats of attacks by extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. At Wendou school, 1,400 children use 14 hand-washing stations and no one has masks, said Dofiko Kone, the headmaster. Although they’ve now returned to class, school meals haven’t yet started and the little support he gets from aid groups is not enough to sustain them. “The children go to school but when they come back ... there is no food, there is no place to sleep,” he said.

Voters went to the polls in Burkina Faso on Sunday for the elections that have been marred by ongoing extremist violence in this landlocked West African nation. “The reasons are mainly security and also it’s impossible to find someone to manage the polling stations,” Barry said. Burkina Faso experts say the violence and intimidation show how limited the authorities’ control and legitimacy really are. It’s about the development of Burkina Faso, it’s about peace in our country, so it’s important that each Burkinabe vote,” he said. ___AP reporter Arsene Kabore in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, contributed to this report.

Supporters of Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore attend a campaign rally in Bobo-Dioulasso Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Burkina Faso will go to the polls on Nov. 22, 2020, to vote in presidential and legislative elections marred by ongoing violence. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)OUAGADOUGOU – Burkina Faso will vote in presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, amid escalating extremist violence that’s killed more than 2,000 people this year and displaced some one million people from their homes. Komboigo told the AP that Burkina Faso was in a “catastrophe” and blamed Kabore for being unwilling to pursue a more diplomatic approach with the jihadists. Kabore is expected to be re-elected and needs more than 50% of the vote to win in the first round.

Supporters of Burkina Faso President Roch Kabore attend a campaign rally in Bobo-Dioulasso Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. Burkina Faso will go to the polls on Nov. 22, 2020, to vote in presidential and legislative elections marred by ongoing violence. Burkina Faso will go to the polls on Nov. 22 to vote in presidential and legislative elections marred by ongoing violence. This month’s vote is only Burkina Faso’s second democratically held election since gaining independence from France in 1960. “The stakes are high in a way, because of (Burkina Faso’s) severe problems and the importance of consolidating democracy,” said Alex Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati in the United States.

A number of elections are set to be held later this year involving incumbents, including in Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Niger. The two countries are both part of the G5 Sahel regional force along with Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso which is trying to battle extremists across the Sahel. Burkina Faso was long spared the kind of extremist violence seen across the border, but that has changed. Coupcast, a project of One Earth Future using historical data to predict the likelihood of a coup attempt, put Burkina Faso in the top 10 African countries likely to see a coup in last year's report. Coupcast also put Niger in the top 10 African countries likely to see a coup in their 2019 report.