A soldier, not necessarily the most brilliant, let's say a young Captain, takes power in a country, making people believe that the evil French want to install a man under their command. The good people, furious, then come out brandishing Russian flags from who knows where, and the young captain settles down. He promises to restore the democracy flouted by his predecessors, to drive terrorists out of the country, to put an end to neocolonialism, to Françafrique, to corruption, to tribalism etc... takes some populist measures such as "I am lowering the salaries of ministers, and I am content with my military pay,” and that’s it. He sits comfortably in the chair, and begins by shutting the mouths of all those who dare to criticize him and call him to account. Foreign media are difficult to control? They are banned. It's quite simple. France is moving? We fire his ambassador. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of which we are a member imposes sanctions as provided for in the texts and wants to stick its nose into its affairs? We are leaving her with immediate effect. The neighbors who are concerned about their development are blamed for all the evils and the people are happy. The fight against terrorism looks like a massacre of civilian populations, children included? If you say it it is because you are against the homeland. Local journalists? Walking. Political leaders? Walking. Civil society ? Not everyone! Take care of yourself ! Beware ! From now on, it’s homeland or death. Understand well. The homeland is him. He, the supreme leader, the “caudillo”, the “lider maximo”, the enlightened guide, the one who knows everything, who can do everything and who does everything. One day leave power? “I am willing, my dear friend. But see for yourself everything there is to do! To leave is to abandon the poor people. And I will never be able to do that. » Those who criticize are traitors to the country. Logical, since the homeland is him. Well ! I know how I will treat them, these traitors.
Mr. Ablassé Ouaédraogo who honors me with his friendship was for many years the Minister of Foreign Affairs of President Blaise Compaoré. Then for many more years he was the deputy director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Then he returned to his country to create a political party, “Le Faso Autre”. Since the military came to power, he dared to say out loud what he thought of their management of the country. This displeased. So he was arrested on December 24 and taken to an unknown destination, and since then, his relatives have had no news of him. Last Sunday, photos and a video of him were published, presenting him as being on the front line, participating in the fight against terrorists. We see him in fatigues, maneuvering, a machine gun in his hand. He was in the company of Issiaka Ouédraogo, president of the Council for Information and Monitoring of Government Actions, and Doctor Daouda Diallo, secretary general of the collective against impunity and stigmatization of communities. Like Ablassé Ouédraogo, they made the mistake of not speaking their minds and saying what they thought about the way they were governed. Like him, they had been kidnapped and their loved ones had no news of them.
Ablassé Ouédraogo is over 70 years old. Even in the worst dictatorships known in this world today, a 70-year-old man is never sent to war. In Burkina Faso, someone has put on the clothes of Thomas Sankara and claims to be making a revolution. But the clothes are obviously too big for him and he is simply giving birth to a ferocious dictatorship.
Let us spare a thought for Burkina Faso and for our Burkinabè brothers who now live in terror produced both by the jihadists and by the military in power.
By Venance Konan
