Human rights leader detained

In a clamp down on anti-government demonstrations this week security forces arrested three political opponents in Ouagadougou on Thursday, the Union Interafricaine des droits
de l'homme (UIDH) said.

The union said its president, Halidou Ouedraogo and the others were arrested in their homes early today. The arrests come after days of tension following a peaceful weekend demonstration in Ouagadougou by pro-democracy organisations. The protestors were calling for justice in the case of investigative journalist, Norbert Zongo, found dead in suspicious circumstances in December 1998.

As part of the government crackdown on pro-democracy activists, all schools and universities in all major towns were closed on Thursday.

Saturday's march was "violently dispersed" by the security forces and at least 30 people were injured. In response to the "barbaric repression" displayed by law and order forces, the union said, a 72 hour national strike began on Monday. However, confrontations between protesters and state security forces continued in the capital and in various provinces. A
number of arrests were made, the union said. Some people have now been released, but others are still detained at the national police headquarters.

The other two men detained are the secretary-general of the Confederation Generale du Travail du Burkina et vice president du Collectif, Tole Sagnon, and the president of the Front des Forces Sankaristes representant le groupe du 14 fevrier au Collectif, Norbert Tiendrebeogo.

UIDH described the government's actions as "a serious attack on freedom of expression" and a deliberate attempt to stop the public demanding an investigation into the death of Zongo.