Burkina Faso’s government has strongly rejected the claim by Ivory Coast’s authorities that activist Alain Traoré, also known as Alino Faso, died by suicide while in custody. Instead, Burkina Faso considers Traoré’s death an “assassination”.
Traoré, a prominent advocate for military-led governments in the Sahel region, was arrested six months ago on charges of espionage.
His supporters accuse Ivory Coast of covering up political repression, alleging the country wanted to silence Traoré over his dissent against the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Burkinabé Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, has demanded a thorough investigation into Traoré’s death and called for his body to be repatriated to Burkina Faso.
The minister criticized the Ivorian authorities for announcing Traoré’s death on social media without contacting his family first, showing “a great deal of contempt, a lack of respect and courtesy for the authorities and the people of Burkina Faso”.
Ivory Coast’s public prosecutor has announced investigations into the circumstances of Traoré’s death.
Traoré’s supporters believe his death is linked to his activism against ECOWAS, which has strained relations with Burkina Faso’s military-led government.
