Twenty-one soldiers who were found guilty of participating in the unsuccessful coup in Burkina Faso back in September 2015 have been granted a presidential pardon.
The crisis-ridden West African nation has been under the control of military authorities since September 2022, after a coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré .
In December last year, Traoré declared an "amnesty pardon" for multiple individuals who were found guilty in connection with the 2015 effort to topple the interim administration following the ousting of the previous president. Blaise Compaoré .
"As per the decree released last week, amnesty is granted to the listed 21 soldiers who were previously convicted or charged with offenses occurring on September 15 and 16, 2015," it was stated.
The list includes six officers, among them two ex-commanders of the previous presidential guard, along with 15 non-commissioned officers and regular soldiers.
They were found guilty at a military court in Ouagadougou in 2019 of offenses including "endangering national security," murder, or treason.
Burkina Faso extends amnesty to those involved in failed 2015 coup
The two key architects of the unsuccessful coup, former Chief of Staff Gilbert Diendéré and Foreign Minister Djibril Bassolé, who were associated with Compaoré, received sentences of 20 and 10 years in prison respectively. They did not qualify for the amnesty.
Those convicted have until June this year to request a pardon.
In order to achieve this, they must "show a patriotic dedication to reclaiming the territory" and "state their readiness to actively engage in the battle against terrorism."
The 21 soldiers pardoned will rejoin the army, which has been fighting jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group for more than 10 years.
However, the edict states that they will not be entitled to compensation or advancement in their career.
Transition to civilian rule delayed
Diendéré and Bassolé attempted to overthrow the interim administration established following Compaoré's removal from power in October 2014. popular uprising , after 27 years in power.
Loyalist forces put down the attempted coup within two weeks. A total of 14 people died and 270 were wounded.
The justice ministry in December said that some 1,200 people convicted in connection with the coup attempt would be pardoned from 1 January.
Burkina Faso 's ruling junta announced last May that it will remain in power for another five years As per an agreement reached during nationwide discussions.
The deadline for transition to civilian rule was originally set for 1 July 2024.
As per the charter signed by Traoré, elections can be held prior to the specified date "should the security situation allow."
(with AFP)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. Syndigate.info ).
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