The army of Burkina Faso has enlisted at least five magistrates to participate in anti-terrorism operations, announced the inter-union of magistrates, which denounces an act of “humiliation and intimidation”.
On Monday, five magistrates “individually received telephone calls” informing them that “each is requisitioned for operations to secure the national territory during the period from August 14 to November 13, with the possibility of renewal”, wrote the inter-union in acommunicated Friday.
These are three prosecutors in Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Boromo (west), a substitute prosecutor for Bobo Dioulasso and the dean of investigating judges at the Ziniaré court (center).
She believes that “the requisitions of these magistrates have an intrinsic link with judicial files involving supporters of power”.
“These requisitions are nothing more and nothing less than acts of humiliation and intimidation of magistrates in the exercise of their functions,” judges the inter-union, which brings together the three main magistrates’ unions in the country.
The authorities did not immediately react to this exit from the inter-union of magistrates.
According to an order from the Bobo-Dioulasso administrative court of August 13, the “requisition orders” of the prosecutor and his substitute in the Burkinabe capital were considered “illegal”. The court ordered the State to pay one million CFA francs (1,524 euros) to the people concerned.
Arriving in power through a coup d’état on September 30, 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traoré signed a “general mobilization” decree in April 2023 to fight against terrorists who commit attacks in the country and on July 11, the leader of the state had announced its desire tobringing justice into line, under the guise of fighting corruption. It was during his general policy speech, where he confirmed his desire to stay in power for the next five years.
Since 2015, the country has been regularly hit by terrorist attacks which have caused a total of more than 20,000 deaths – civilians and soldiers – including nearly 3,800 this year, according to the NGO Acled which lists victims of conflicts around the word.
