The Togolese government confirmed on Tuesday January 20 that it had extradited to Burkina Faso the former transitional president of this country, former lieutenant-colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. He was overthrown in 2022 and has since been accused of being the mastermind of several putsch attempts.
Mr. Damiba took power in January 2022 through a putsch against the elected president at the time, Roch Kaboré, before being in turn overthrown nine months later by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, still in power. Having gone into exile in Togo, he is regularly accused by the Ouagadougou junta of being the mastermind of several putsch attempts, the latest dating from the beginning of the month.
Mr. Damiba was arrested in Lomé on January 16, “in execution of the arrest warrant which was part of an extradition request received”four days earlier, on the part of the Burkinabe authorities, said the Togolese Minister of Justice, Pacôme Adjourouvi, in a press release, read Tuesday on public television.
“Guarantees” on respect for physical integrity
The Lomé Court of Appeal gave a « avis favorable » to the extradition request and Mr. Damiba was “handed over to the authorities” of Burkina Faso, on January 17, according to the same press release. He is being prosecuted for “criminal embezzlement of public funds, criminal illicit enrichment, corruption, incitement to the commission of offenses and crimes, aggravated concealment and money laundering”.
The Togolese Minister of Justice specifies that the favorable opinion of extradition was given in particular because “guarantees” were given by Burkina Faso regarding respect for the physical integrity of Mr. Damiba, and his right to a fair trial. He also mentions “the absence of the death penalty”even if Burkina recently reintroduced it, for crimes of high treason.
