BURKINA FASO: Fragile democracy being tested

OUAGADOUGOU, 27 December 2006 (IRIN) - Clashes last week between the military and police in Burkina Faso’s capital underlined the fragile state of democracy in that country, local analysts warn.

In attacks initially written off as a tit-for-tat retaliation for the police killing a national army soldier, police headquarters in central Ouagadougou came under heavy machine gun and rocket fire for over 24 hours last week.

"We have experienced various coups and we should not forget that,” warned Luc Ibriga a law professor at the University of Ouagadougou, referring to armed insurrections in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1987. “Those who are in power today appeared in the political landscape because there were some problems that are still unresolved,” he added.

The bombardment and subsequent fighting left five dead including three soldiers and two policemen. More than 600 prisoners are still unaccounted for after soldiers destroyed the gate of the main prison in Ouagadougou.

Military leaders later told the country’s defence minister that their protest went beyond retaliation to include claims for better living conditions, better retirement packages and even career planning, an agenda which some see as straying into political territory.

"The politicization of the army is a destabilizing factor" said Alexandre Pagomziri Ouedraogo, president of the Burkina Faso Movement for the Emergence of Social Justice (MBEJUS).

According to Alexandre Pagomziri Ouedraogo, who has launched a training project for the military and security forces in issues including democratic culture, rule of law and good governance, the incidents were predictable.

After 12 months of work with the forces, Ouedraogo says he has diagnosed the fact that various forces do not always understand their mission. He recommends more training sessions for security and defence officers

"During our meetings, we have seen a lack of training on republican values within the army and security forces," explained Ouedraogo, who is also coordinator of the project.

"Our democracy has received a serious blow. A blow that can be fatal, when you see how the regime was unable to quickly solve the crisis," Ouedraogo said. "The president [Compaore] who thought he was in control of the system came to realize that there are still some resistences among the institutions that are not on track."

The human rights movement and civil society in Burkina Faso have regularly denounced extra-judicial killings and lack of justice against men in the security servics.

Three businessmen were killed by police in the east of Burkina last October. In a widely publicised case, Norbert Zongo, the publisher of an independent weekly was allegedly assassinated while investigating a murder case involving the brother of the head of state.

"We must work to depoliticize our administration so that it does not serve only a fraction of the citizens," Ibriga warned.

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