The military junta in Burkina Faso has officially pardoned 21 soldiers linked to a failed coup attempt in 2015, as detailed in a recent decree. This decision comes as the nation, facing ongoing challenges, has been under military rule since September 2022, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore.
In December, Traore had previously announced an amnesty for several individuals convicted in the aftermath of the 2015 coup attempt, which aimed to overthrow the transitional government established following the ousting of former president Blaise Compaore.
The decree, issued last week, lists the identities of the 21 soldiers granted amnesty. Among them are six officers, including two former commanders of the presidential guard, along with 15 non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel. All had been convicted by a military tribunal in Ouagadougou in 2019 for charges including “harming state security,” murder, and treason.
Notably absent from this pardon are two generals identified as key figures behind the coup attempt—Gilbert Diendere, Compaore’s former chief of staff, and Djibril Bassole, the former head of diplomacy—who received sentences of 20 and 10 years, respectively.
Those receiving pardons have until June to formally request clemency. To qualify, they must demonstrate a commitment to national integrity and express a readiness to combat terrorism. The pardoned soldiers are set to return to active duty within the army, which has been engaged in a prolonged conflict against jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for over a decade.
However, the decree states that these individuals will not be eligible for compensation or advancements within military ranks. The military leadership previously indicated that around 1,200 individuals connected to the coup attempt would be pardoned starting January 1, signaling a significant shift in the nation’s approach to addressing past injustices.
