The military junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré just made a bold move by reinstating the death penalty in Burkina Faso’s penal code—a decision passed unanimously by the transitional legislature. Framed under the chilling slogan “Sentimentalism is over,” this revival of capital punishment, last enforced in 2018, is being sold as a necessity for national toughness. Yet critics warn it’s a carefully crafted legal weapon, sharpened to permanently sideline rivals—starting with the country’s ousted transitional leader, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
The legal noose tightens around Damiba’s neck
Awaiting trial for high treason and conspiracy against state security, Damiba has become the regime’s most visible target. Observers argue the timing of this legal overhaul isn’t coincidental. By restoring the death penalty, Ibrahim Traoré’s administration is quietly laying the groundwork to pursue capital punishment in Damiba’s upcoming trial—closing off any path to clemency or leniency under the banner of ending “sentimentalism.”
The strategy sends a clear message: opposition voices and dissident factions within the military will face dire consequences. Damiba, if convicted, could serve as a warning to all who challenge Traoré’s rule.
From coup plotter to condemned: the bitter irony of Burkina Faso’s revolving door
There’s a sharp irony in Damiba’s current predicament—one that exposes the hypocrisy of Burkina Faso’s recurring coups. The same military leaders now threatening him with execution were once his allies in power:
- Copycat tactics: In January 2022, Damiba seized control from elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré using force. Just eight months later, Ibrahim Traoré followed the same playbook to remove Damiba from power.
- Patriotism then, treason now: When Damiba used military force to take power, supporters called it a “patriotic awakening.” Today, the same methods used against Traoré are rebranded as capital crimes.
This double standard reveals how power shifts in Burkina Faso come at a brutal cost—and how quickly yesterday’s heroes become today’s enemies.
Does the death penalty breed stability or perpetual instability?
By rejecting “sentimentalism” in favor of state terror, Ibrahim Traoré may have just locked himself into a dangerous cycle. Using criminal justice—and the death penalty—as a tool to settle political scores at the top of the military hierarchy only deepens the cycle of vengeance and instability.
The harsh lesson from Burkina Faso’s tumultuous transitions: those wielding power today may find themselves in the defendant’s chair tomorrow. The reinstatement of capital punishment isn’t just a legal shift—it’s a gamble on the nation’s future.
