OUAGADOUGOU: The Transitional Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso has passed a controversial bill on amnesty and the conditions for granting amnesty pardons, a move that has sparked discussions about its implications on past political events. The country’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Rodrigue Edasso Bayala, assured that the legislation does not undermine the popular uprising of October 30 and 31, 2014, which led to significant political changes in the country.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Minister Bayala addressed concerns by stating that the new law does not question the legitimacy of the 2014 insurrection. He clarified that of the sixty individuals convicted in relation to that period, approximately thirty have completed their sentences, while two have passed away, and five received suspended sentences and are not currently incarcerated. “To date, 80% of the civilians and military personnel convicted in this case have been released for several years after serving their sentences,” Bayala stated.
The minister further explained that some of those who have completed their sentences have resumed their duties in military operations. “They have finished serving their sentences, they have not been discharged. So they have returned to their original units and are working,” he said. Bayala also emphasized that the bill does not infringe upon the rights of civil parties involved in the case, highlighting the state’s commitment to ensuring that civil parties receive their due rights, including a financial compensation of 947 million FCFA.
Minister Bayala reassured victims that the legislation does not equate to impunity and stressed the importance of shifting from punitive justice to restorative justice, which he believes better serves society’s interests. In addition to the amnesty bill, the legislative assembly also passed a bill amending the law regarding the description and meaning of the coat of arms of Burkina Faso.