The former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, arrived on Thursday after eight years of exile in Ivory Coast after being ousted from power by popular uprisings in October 2014.
The former president’s plane landed at a military airbase near Ouagadougou’s international airport at around 2pm, where dozens of supporters gathered to welcome him.
“This is a great relief for me. When Blaise left in 2014, I was the first Burkinabé to take photos to pay tribute to him and wish for reconciliation, social cohesion and forgiveness.”
Nana Thibault, a supporter of Compaoré
Reconciliation is with all Burkinabes, but if he is not there, we cannot talk about reconciliation. He led this country for more than two decades.
Alain Zoungrana, another supporter of the former head of state
Burkina Faso’s presidency said in a statement reported yesterday by the Burkina Faso Information Agency (AIB) that Compaore will attend a meeting on Friday with President Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba and other former presidents to discuss relevant issues on the situation of the nation.
Blaise Compaoré was the president of Burkina Faso from the death of former president Thomas Sankara in 1987 until October 2014, when under popular pressure he was forced to resign and go into exile in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire when he tried to change the constitution to remain in power.
At the historic trial of the assassination of Thomas Sankara, which took place in Ouagadougou between October 2021 and April 2022, Blaise Compaoré was found guilty in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.
