a “final batch” of declassified documents submitted

France has just handed over to the Burkinabe authorities on Saturday, April 17, a final batch of declassified archival documents as part of the investigation into the case of the murder of Thomas Sankara. This third set of documents concerns the archives of the French Ministry of the Interior, in particular the police liaison present in Burkina Faso at the time of the events, and the Directorate – General for Internal Security.

as reported from Ouagadougou, Yaya Boudani

These documents, which were handed over under seal to the Burkinabe authorities, were produced under Thomas Sankara’s regime and after his assassination, according to Luc Hallade, the French ambassador to Burkina Faso. They arrived in Burkina Faso at the end of February 2021, but it was this Saturday, April 17, that they were officially handed over.

Ambassador Luc Hallade said he regretted the late arrival of this last batch of documents related to the murder of Captain Thomas Sankara, documents transferred at the end of the investigating judge’s work. However, he emphasizes that Burkinabe’s military justice really has much more to do than the only French archives on which the opinion seems to focus.

“The elements of the archives of French archives which were transferred, transferred or added to the inquiry must not make us forget that the same Burkinabè justice has its own means of inquiry. I sometimes have the impression that everyone focuses on French archives as if there was a deliberate negotiation, says Ambassador Luc Hallade.

The party with eight declassified documents was handed over to the Burkinabè minister, responsible for African integration and Burkinabè abroad. According to Maxime Koné, these documents may serve as additional information in connection with the trial of the Thomas Sankara affair.

“And we believe that these actions, including the work carried out by the investigator of the military court in Burkina Faso, will in any case shed light on this case,” said Minister Maxime Koné.

These French archival documents, linked to the context of the assassination of Captain Thomas Sankara, come from the French Directorate-General for Internal Security and the police and co-operation present at the French Embassy in Burkina Faso.

Read also: Burkina Faso: France has not yet delivered all its archives for the Sankara trial

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