Human rights lobby organises stayaway

A collective of human rights groups, opposition leaders and journalists has called for a nationwide stayaway in Burkina Faso on Thursday, one of its leaders told IRIN. The protest is aimed at obtaining the release of three members of the 'Collectif' detained by the security forces following protests in Koudougou, home town of Norbert Zongo, an independent journalist found dead in his car on 13 December along with three other people. An independent commission found that the Zongo "was murdered for purely political reasons" and for his commitment to investigative journalism. It said in its final report that discrepancies in the testimonies of six presidential guards whom it had questioned did not mean they were guilty but made them "serious suspects". The publication of the report on 7 May led to demonstrations in Burkina Faso's main towns, with protesters, many of them students, demanding that the suspects be brought to justice. When on Monday, homes were burnt during the protests in Koudougou, three members of the Collectif were arrested. They included opposition parliamentarian Herman Yameogo and Halidou Ouedraogo, head of the Mouvement burkinabe des Droits de l'Homme et des Peuples (MBDHP). Ouedraogo and the third member of the Collectif were later released, but two others were arrested in Koudougou on Tuesday. "On Thursday the 20th there will be a total work stoppage in the private, public and informal sectors," Ouedraogo told IRIN from Ouagadougou on Tuesday after a meeting of the Collectif at which the strike was decided. Ouedraogo said the group would meet again after Thursday's strike to decide on future action. He also accused the state of diversionary tactics. "They arrested us to distract our attention" he said, adding that the Collectif wanted the six presidential guards arrested. However, Security Minister Djibril Bassole said on radio that the state had evidence Yameogo had incited the protests in Koudougou. He told RFI that the opposition parliamentarian had been caught "red handed" but did not elaborate.