Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — This Tuesday, Burkina Faso’s newspapers prominently featured the verdict of former transport minister Vincent Dabilgou’s appeal and the recent attack in Barsalogho, capturing national attention and sparking widespread discussions.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the front pages were dominated by the government’s response to the Barsalogho attack, with headlines like “Barsalogho attack: A government delegation on the scene to bring comfort and hope.” The paper detailed the visit by a government team comprising several ministers and military officials to the affected area, aiming to provide solace to the victims and reinforce security measures.
Sidwaya reports that the delegation, which included Minister of State and government spokesperson Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, the Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, the Minister of Humanitarian Action, Nandy Somé, and the head of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General, Célestin Simporé, visited Barsalogho following the violent terrorist attack that resulted in multiple casualties and injuries.
Simultaneously, the private daily L’Observateur Paalga covered the community’s mobilization with a headline “Tragedy of Barsalgho: blood collection to save the injured,” reporting on a blood drive in Kaya and Ouagadougou to aid the wounded from Saturday’s attack.
On another note, both Sidwaya and L’Observateur Paalga, along with Le Pays, reported extensively on the verdict of Vincent Dabilgou’s appeal trial. Sidwaya noted that Dabilgou was sentenced on Monday, August 26, 2024, to 11 years in prison, including 6 years, by the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal for embezzlement, money laundering, and secret financing of a political party during his tenure.
Further details from L’Observateur Paalga revealed that in addition to his prison sentence, Dabilgou was fined more than 3 billion 175 million CFA francs. Le Pays highlighted that this appeals court decision deviated from the original ruling, which had sentenced Dabilgou to a slightly different term and a similar fine.