Burkina Faso: the junta reinstates the death penalty in the penal code
Burkina Faso is preparing to reinstate the death penalty in its penal code. The decision, announced Thursday, December 4 at the end of the Council of Ministers, comes from the military regime led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The death penalty, abolished in 2018 under the civilian government, could again apply to offences such as high treason, terrorism or espionage, according to the government’s information service.
According to Amnesty International, the last known execution in the country dates back to 1988. The abolition in 2018 under the presidency of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was then seen as a major step forward for human rights.
Since coming to power after the September 2022 coup d’état, Captain Traoré has championed a sovereigntist line, marked by an open criticism of the West and a rapprochement with new partners, notably Russia and Iran. The revision of the penal code still has to be examined by the Transitional Legislative Assembly. “The adoption of this bill is part of the reform drive aimed at establishing a justice system in line with the people’s aspirations,” said Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala.
The text also introduces sanctions against “the promotion and homosexual and related practices”. Last September, Burkina Faso had already passed a law punishing these practices with penalties of up to five years’ imprisonment.
According to Amnesty International’s 2024 report, fourteen sub-Saharan African countries handed down death sentences during the year, a decrease of 10%. The number of executions also fell by 11%, with Somalia being the only country in the region to have carried them out for the second consecutive year.
Comments