The military regime in Burkina Faso wants to reinstate the death penalty in its penal code which was abolished in 2018, a government source told AFP on Saturday. She confirmed comments made the day before by the Minister of Justice.
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“This is being considered. It is up to the government to discuss it, to then make a proposal to the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT, appointed by the junta) for adoption,” this source indicated, adding that “there is no no date set for this proposal.”
“It is the council of ministers which decides on its agenda,” she said, confirming comments made Friday by the Minister of Justice, Rodrigue Bayala.
“Of course, there is the question of the death penalty which is being discussed and which will be introduced in the draft penal code,” declared Mr. Bayala during the adoption by the assembly of a bill establishing works of general interest.
Futures modifications
The minister also mentioned future modifications to the penal code “to go in the direction of the vision and instructions given by the head of state, Captain Ibrahim Traoré”, in power since a coup d’état perpetrated at the end of September 2022 .
According to Amnesty International, the last execution recorded in Burkina Faso dates back to 1988. The death penalty was abolished under the civilian regime of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, thirty years later.
In a press release published last October, Amnesty International indicated that it had noted an increase in death penalty sentences in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023: “recorded executions have more than tripled and recorded death sentences have increased by 66%”.
The NGO also affirms that 24 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have abolished the death penalty “for all crimes, while two other countries have repealed it for common crimes only.” Additionally, “bills to abolish the death penalty for all crimes have been introduced in Kenya and Zimbabwe.”
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