Abidjan: During his Grand Oral on Monday, Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ou©draogo declared that the arrest of Alain Traor©, known as Alino Faso, in C´te d’Ivoire for “subversion” is nothing more than “a smokescreen.”
According to Burkina Information Agency, after Alino Faso’s arrest last January, the Ivorian authorities promised to build Burkina Faso. Nearly four months later, nothing has changed. For Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ou©draogo, “until today, we are waiting to be enlightened,” adding: “In any case, we wish him much courage and express our solidarity with his wife and children. But I am convinced that this is a smokescreen.”
The head of the Burkinabe government explained: “It’s true that Alino Faso is of Burkinabe origin, but I can say that he is perhaps one of the young people who symbolized the link between the Burkinabe and Ivorian peoples. We know that his wife is Ivorian, he lives with his children, and he carries out his activities in C´te d’Ivoire as well as in Burkina Faso.”
“And he was always the one who truly advocated this understanding, this fusion between the Burkinabe and Ivorian peoples. It was evident: he was in showbiz, organized concerts, brought Ivorian artists to Burkina. He was also one of the Burkinabe artists in C´te d’Ivoire. So, we were surprised,” he added.
The Prime Minister said he was convinced that “all of this is part of a current desire for demonization. He is accused of being involved in subversive actions. All we knew about him was that he was someone who promoted his activities, but also someone who supported the fighting forces.”
According to Jean Emmanuel Ou©draogo, “he never failed to write on his page to galvanize the fighting forces. But he also never failed to publish his opinions, saying, on this or that aspect, what he suggested.”
The head of the Burkinabe government insists that Alino Faso “is a man who has always been known for preaching peace.”