Norbert Zongo

Norbert Zongo was a Burkinabe journalist, publication director of the weekly magazine Independent the .

After having begun an investigation into the mysterious death of David Ouedraogo, the driver of François Compaoré, the brother of the Burkinabe president Blaise Compaoré, Norbert Zongo dies assassinated the December 13rd 1998, with the three people who accompanied it (Blaise Ilboudo, Ablassé Nikiéma and Ernest Zongo), raising a very sharp emotion with Ouagadougou, through all the country but also in the adjoining countries. Following this assassination, many demonstrations took place in all the country, most violent were recorded with Koudougou (in the west of Ouagadougou), where had been born Norbert Zongo. The partisans of the capacity organized as a militia and armed with clubs devoted themselves to a hunting for the demonstrators in several cities of the country.

Norbert Zongo and three close relations were found died and calcined in their vehicle on December 13rd, 1998 to a hundred kilometers in the south of Ouagadougou, on the road of Sapouy.

The official investigation

Yielding to the popular discontent, president Blaise Compaoré lets a judicial enquiry open. In seven years of instruction, only one suspect, an adjudant of presidential safety, was accused, but the witness showing it retracted during a legal confrontation.

In August 2000, it was with the turn of five members of the presidential guard to be accused of the murder of Ouedraogo. Marcel Kafando, Edmond Koama and Ousseini Yaro, also suspectés in the Zongo business, were recognized guilty and condemned to custodial sentences. Edmond Koama is deceased the January 4th 2001.

The Zongo lawsuit was concluded by a withdrawal of case the July 19th 2006 which caused an international outcry.

Independent surveys

Foreign journalists and a commission of international survey carried out towards other members of the presidential guard Burkinabe.

The independent commission concluded that the death of Norbert Zongo was due to purely political reasons, because of its investigations about death after Torture of David Ouedraogo, driver of François Compaoré. This last was accused of the murder of David Ouedraogo in January 1999. The military tribunal gave up then the loads retained against him.

The singer Reggae of the Ivory Coast Alpha Blondy wrote to a song “Journalists in danger” which denounces the assassination of Norbert Zongo and the Burkinabe capacity which tries to choke this business.

Reporters without borders (RSF) affirmed on October 20th, 2006 that the report/ratio of investigation of the Commission of independent survey (CEI) on the assassination of Norbert Zongo had been expurgé of elements blaming François Compaoré, the brother of the president Blaise Compaoré, and a business man close to the capacity, Oumarou Kanazoé. Several times quoted in this business, Compaoré and Kanazoé always denied any implication.

The newspaper the Event showed the investigation of RSF and François Compaoré carried felt sorry for slandering against the newspaper. January 8th, 2007, the business passed in front of the Court of Bankruptcy of Ouagadougou, but fault of the original of the newspaper, the audience was returned to January 22nd.

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