According to the BBC, about 20 soldiers have been arrested in Burkina Faso for plotting to free the leader of September’s coup, Gen Gilbert Diendere, officials have said.
The BBC Tuesday quoted Prime Minister Isaac Zida as saying that 20 were arrested during a raid in the capital, Ouagadougou, on Monday.The group had also planned to free other coup plotters, and
re-establish the elite presidential guard which Gen Diendere headed, he added.
Gen Diendere was charged in October for staging the short-lived coup.
He gave up power after seven days, following domestic protests and Sub-regional and international intervention.
REVIEW
Burkina Faso has gone through a quick transition from a provisional government to an elected government.
The duty of this elected government is to build a new Burkina Faso and not to live in the past. First and foremost, it should convene a commission of jurists to draft a genuine Republican Constitution after National consultation and debate on constitutional and institutional reform.
Secondly, there is need to debate how impunity is to be uprooted and justice done to victims.
History has taught that if impunity was deep and widespread like Apartheid South Africa a truth and reconciliation approach may be the way forward to avoid derailing the peace and development process. There is no recipe. Each government has a duty to decide whether to institute criminal proceedings or adopt other justice dispensation measures like a truth and reconciliation measures.
