Faith Nyasuguta
Burkina Faso’s military regime is moving forward with plans to reinstate the death penalty, a major shift after its abolition in 2018. A government source disclosed to Agence France-Presse that “reintroducing capital punishment to the penal code is being considered.” This development will require the government’s deliberation before being proposed to the Transitional Legislative Assembly for approval.
The country’s last known execution took place on September 19, 1988, when four high-profile figures were executed, including then-Defence Minister Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani and Minister of Economic Promotion Henri Zongo. They were accused of attempting to overthrow President Blaise Compaoré, and two unnamed individuals were also among those executed.
Justice Minister Rodrigue Bayala noted on Friday, following the adoption of a new bill introducing community service, that “the issue of the death penalty, which is being discussed, will be implemented in the draft criminal code.” He mentioned potential updates to the code to reflect “the vision and the guidelines given by the head of state, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré.”
Capt. Traoré, who assumed power through a coup in September 2022, has shown interest in reshaping the nation’s laws. His government in May 2024 extended its military rule for an additional five years, going against an earlier promise to reinstate civilian governance by July. During that same month, “Traoré’s government passed a bill that included plans to ban homosexuality,” intensifying global human rights concerns.
Amnesty International has highlighted that the use of capital punishment is on the rise in Africa. The organization revealed that “recorded executions more than tripled and recorded death sentences increased significantly by 66%”in the region. Nonetheless, “twenty-four countries across sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty for all crimes while two additional countries have abolished it for ordinary crimes only.”
Progressive changes have been noted elsewhere, with Kenya and Zimbabwe currently working on bills aimed at abolishing the death penalty, and Gambia advancing a constitutional amendment to eliminate it.
Critics view the reintroduction of the death penalty in Burkina Faso as a step backward, raising fears about potential human rights violations amid the regime’s continued tightening of its rule.
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