State committee wants presidential guards arrested

A committee of elders exploring crimes of impunity in Burkina Faso has urged the authorities to arrest those responsible for torturing and killing a driver who worked for the president’s brother, media organisations reported. David Ouedraogo, who worked for President Blaise Compaore’s younger brother, Francois, was tortured by members of the presidential guard and died from his injuries in January 1998. A journalist investigating the case, Norbert Zongo, was found dead on 13 December 1998. According to AFP, the 16-member committee said in a statement issued Thursday that it “has demanded the arrest of individuals whose responsibility for David Ouedraogo’s death has been clearly established”. President Compaore set up the committee - made up of three former heads of state, traditional and religious leaders, and resource persons - in early June in response to the social unrest that followed Zongo’s murder. The committee is expected to issue a report around mid-July.