Alleged coup plotters face military court on April 6

Thirteen alleged coup plotters will appear on 6 April before a military court in Burkina Faso, state prosecutor Abdoulaye Barry said on Monday at a press conference.

"The investigations were closed on March 12, and the job of the investigating magistrate has ended," Barry said.

He said four of the 17 original suspects were released last Friday. "These persons are no more charged with the facts they were accused of," Barry explained without giving further details.

The other 13 – 11 soldiers and two civilians – face prison terms of five to 20 years for plotting against, and endangering the security of the state. The alleged master mind of the coup, Captain Luther Wali Diapagri, is also charged with "treason". He is accused of having received

financial and logistical support from neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire and Togo. However, the government has failed to say if the support came from state officials in these countries.

"Investigations have shown the involvement of foreign countries and the facts are real," Barry said, adding that the testimonies of persons questioned by the authorities "have convinced us that there has been intelligence with foreign powers".

The coup attempt, which was revealed in September 2003, has caused a profound malaise within the army. Several of the alleged coup plotters belonged or had belonged to president Blaise Compaore’s guard unit.

The alleged coup has also caused a further deterioration in relations with neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, which had already sent home some 350,000 Burkinabe after accusing the government of Burkina Faso of backing rebels who have occupied the north of the country since September 2002.

While Burkina’s government had named Togo among the backers of the coup, Security Minister Djibril Bassolet said after a meeting last month with Togolese President Gnassingbe Eyadema that Togo had had nothing to do with it.

However, Barry dismissed this as a "pure governmental declaration".

Major Abdoul Karim Traore, deputy state prosecutor, said in reaction to the minister’s statement that it was “his [Bassolet's] personal analysis, but the judicial analysis shows that there has been treason."

Barry also said former defence minister Gen. Kouame Lougue would
appear during the trial as a witness. Kouame Lougue was sacked in January after being questioned in connection with the coup attempt.

Very popular within the army, Lougue had helped stop an army mutiny in 1999.