During the solemn 36th anniversary commemoration of student Dabo Boukary’s assassination, which occurred under the administration of Blaise Compaoré, the Union générale des étudiants burkinabè (Ugeb) issued a strong condemnation. The student body explicitly criticized the military regime’s “inability to restore security,” a significant concern given the pledges made by Captain Ibrahim Traoré when he seized power through a coup d’état.

Days following this public statement, several students, including the president of Ugeb, were forcibly apprehended. Reports from the student association indicate that these arrests were carried out “forcefully and illegally” by “unidentified individuals” who were armed and dressed in civilian attire.

Government accuses Ugeb of “apology for terrorism”

These detentions were swiftly followed by an accusation of “apology for terrorism” leveled against Ugeb. Subsequently, the Ministry of Territorial Administration officially suspended the student association for a period of three months, with the possibility of renewal. Throughout this suspension, Ugeb is prohibited from undertaking any activities.

Concurrently, the Public Prosecutor of Faso, operating from the Ouaga2 High Court, announced the initiation of a judicial inquiry. This investigation was launched in response to the “gravity” of the alleged incidents.

According to the prosecutor’s official statement, the actions in question are deemed to potentially constitute offenses outlined and punishable under the Burkinabè penal code. Specifically, these acts could be interpreted as an “undertaking to demoralize defense and security forces.”

The prosecutor further emphasized that “public apology for acts of terrorism” carries a potential prison sentence ranging from one to ten years.