Burkina Faso is taking steps to address its tumultuous history. The country’s transitional parliament has approved a law granting amnesty to soldiers involved in a 2015 coup attempt.
In that year, a group of soldiers from the Presidential Security Regiment, loyal to the ousted President Blaise Compaoré, attempted to overthrow the transitional government just weeks before elections were due to take place. The coup ultimately failed after a faction of the military intervened.
Several high-ranking officers who orchestrated the plot were sentenced to prison in 2019. To receive amnesty, they must submit a letter requesting clemency to the country’s current military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The coup plotters had sought to restore Compaoré, who had been ousted in 2014 by widespread protests against his attempt to amend the constitution and extend his 27-year rule. Compaoré fled the country after his departure from office.
Burkina Faso’s history has been marked by political instability, including multiple military takeovers and short-lived democratic experiments. Roch Marc Kabore, elected president shortly after the 2015 coup attempt, was overthrown by soldiers in 2022. An eight-month-long mutiny led to the rise of a new junta, now led by Traoré.
While some view the amnesty as a step toward national reconciliation, others question its motivations and the potential consequences.