Trial of presidential guards begins

The politically charged trial of five members of Burkina Faso’s presidential guard accused of torturing to death a driver who worked for the president’s brother began on Thursday in the capital, Ouagadougou, AFP reported. The chauffeur, David Ouedraogo, died of his injuries in January 1998. Four of the guards have also been implicated in the death of a popular journalist, Norbert Zongo, who was investigating the driver’s death when he and three other people were found burned to death in an abandoned, bullet-ridden vehicle outside Ouagadougou in December 1998. The murders have shone the spotlight on Burkina Faso’s human rights record. Zongo was considered a staunch opponent of the government of President Blaise Compaore and had been calling for the president’s brother, Francois, to be charged with murdering Ouedraogo. Zongo’s death touched off a series of demonstrations in Burkina Faso. Burkinabe human rights leaders are said to have little confidence that the trial will be conducted fairly. Francois Campaore had been charged with murder, but in March last year the appeals court threw out the case, saying it was not competent to pursue legal proceedings. A military tribunal that the case was referred to decided against pressing charges.