A Burkina Faso minister, Zéphirin Diabré, met Blaise Compaoré on Thursday in Abidjan, a first since the latter was overthrown in 2014, relatives of the former president told AFP.
"The Minister of State (Zéphirin Diabré, in charge of National Reconciliation) did indeed have a meeting today with the former President Compaoré in Abidjan"
, declared on condition of anonymity in Ouagadougou an official of the Congress for democracy and progress (CDP), the party founded by Blaise Compaoré.
The information was confirmed by another CDP member in Abidjan.
Read also: Blaise Compaoré, from one putsch to another
"The discussions focused on the issue of national reconciliation, and of course the conditions for the return of Blaise Compaoré"
, which is
"a promise"
made by Burkinabè President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré during
"his electoral campaign"
in November 2020, affirmed the CDP framework. Since he was overthrown by a popular uprising in 2014, the former president of Burkina has lived in Côte d'Ivoire, a neighboring country from which he has obtained nationality, while an arrest warrant has been issued against him by the Burkinabé justice in March 2016. He must be tried in his country for his role in the assassination of President Thomas Sankara, a pan-African icon, during the coup d'état of 1987 which brought Blaise Compaoré to power.
Having obtained Ivorian nationality, Blaise Compaoré cannot be extradited from Côte d'Ivoire. According to legal experts, he could decide for himself to appear voluntarily and freely once his return has been approved by the authorities in Burkina.
"It is true that there is the judicial component which is pending, but that does not prevent working for a worthy return of Compaoré"
, estimated the CDP executive, adding that this could constitute
"a good impetus in the march towards national reconciliation ”.
The case of the assassination of Thomas Sankara was referred on April 13 to the military court of Ouagadougou by the investigating court, after the confirmation of the charges of
"complicity in assassinations"
and
"attack on the security of the 'State'
against 14 people, including Blaise Compaoré. Zéphirin Diabré has been visiting Abidjan since Tuesday. On Wednesday, he delivered a message from President Kaboré to the Ivorian head of state Alassane Ouattara, according to a statement from the Ivorian presidency which did not specify whether the case of Blaise Compaoré had been discussed during the meeting. It was also not specified whether the Ivorian president attended the meeting between Blaise Compaoré and Zéphirin Diabré.
