In Burkina Faso, the president of the transition Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba declared, Friday, May 21, before the Forces vives of the Hauts Bassins region, in Bobo Dioulasso, that he was opposed to the compensation of the victims of the popular insurrection. and the Yirgou massacre. The first reactions are very critical.
Nearly 200 people were killed by civilian militias, in Yirgou, in the province of Sanmatenga, in the Center North, on January 1, 2019.
Reached by RFI, Dr. Daouda Diallo, secretary general of the Collective against impunity and the stigmatization of communities, reacts to President Damiba’s remarks:
” The victims are not asking for compensation; they demand justice. Justice makes it possible to know to whom to forgive, to avoid recidivism, the repetition of acts of crime. In the case of Yirgou, the investigation was able to clearly identify 180 suspects involved in the crime and 180 arrest warrants have been signed. Only 16 people were arrested and 11 are now in prison. The investigating judge is still on the case, but it must be said that it is very difficult because we have just made the bitter observation that the politician does not want to support so that justice is done. Today, it is President Damiba who wants to impose forgiveness on the victims, but you have to know the culprit, to know who you have to forgive. »
Read also: Massacre of Yirgou in Burkina: families denounce the slowness of justice