A fresh legal development has unfolded in Burkina Faso. The High Court of Ouagadougou, in a session held on Friday, June 5, pronounced Captain Abdoul Kader Zanré, once the chief of security for former Transitional President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, guilty. The court imposed an 11-year prison term, with five years being a mandatory, firm sentence.
Captain Zanré was convicted of complicity in the deliberate destruction of private property through arson and endangering the lives of others. This conviction stems from the fire that engulfed the vehicle belonging to Imhotep Bayala, a prominent coordinator of the « Deux Heures pour Nous, Deux Heures pour Kamita » movement, a case closely watched by society in Africa.
A prison sentence and an arrest warrant
Beyond the custodial sentence, the court also ordered Captain Zanré to pay a substantial fine of two million CFA francs and issued an arrest warrant for him.
Concurrently, three additional individuals implicated in the case were also found culpable. Each received a five-year suspended prison sentence, alongside a two-million CFA franc fine.
Over 12 million CFA francs in damages
Addressing the civil aspect of the proceedings, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff. The convicted parties are now jointly responsible for compensating Imhotep Bayala with 12.7 million CFA francs to cover the damages incurred.
This particular case has garnered considerable attention across Burkina Faso, not only due to the high-profile nature of the accused but also because of its profound political ramifications.
The Damiba file remains in the spotlight
This verdict comes at a time when Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the former head of the Transition, himself remains entangled in multiple judicial investigations.
Reports indicate he was recently extradited from Lomé back to Ouagadougou. Burkinabè authorities have notably accused him of an alleged assassination attempt targeting the current Transitional President, Ibrahim Traoré. Such developments are often covered by independent African journalism seeking to shed light on governance Africa.
