Former Burkinabe President Charged in Sankara’s Murder

A court in Burkina Faso has charged former President Blaise Compaore in absentia in connection with the 1987 assassination of then-President Thomas Sankara.

A military tribunal on Tuesday charged Compaore with complicity in the assassination and undermining state security among other charges.

Sankara, a charismatic revolutionary often called “Africa’s Che Guevara,” was assassinated during a coup led by his former friend, Compaore.

Compaore went on to rule Burkina Faso for 27 years before being ousted in a 2014 uprising and fleeing to Cote D’ivoire. He has previously denied any involvement in Sankara’s death.

Compaore’s former right-hand man, General Gilbert Diendere, was also charged with several crimes related to Sankara’s killing, including complicity in the assassination.

CNN