Elders call for government of national unity

A committee of elders has asked for a government of national unity in Burkina Faso following its investigations into unpunished political crimes, AFP reported on Monday. In a report submitted to President Blaise Compaore, the committee also suggested that a truth commission be set up to achieve national reconciliation and a way out of the current national crisis. Compaore said he would make a decision on the committee's recommendations after carrying out consultations, AFP reported. The committee was set up by Compaore in early June to look into unpunished political crimes committed since independence in 1960. Its formation came in the wake of a report released on 7 May by an independent commission which found that independent journalist Norbert Zongo had been the victim of a political killing. Zongo's body was found along with three others in his car on 13 December in Sapouy, about 100km from the capital, Ouagadougou.