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IMPUNITY CONTINUES IN ZONGO CASE

The Burkina Faso government's failure to fully investigate the death of journalist Norbert Zongo is indicative that "the government is not yet determined to shed full light on this case," says a recent Reporters sans frontières (RSF) report. The report, entitled "What's happening with the inquiry into Norbert Zongo's Death?", was issued on 13 December, marking the first anniversary of the death of Zongo. It examines the government's response to the official independent committee of inquiry into the journalist's death. The former editor of "L'Indépendant" and a human rights worker, Zongo was killed with three others on 13 December 1998. Zongo was a long-time critic of the impunity with which the government of Burkina Faso operated and was one of the founding members of the Mouvement Burkinabé des droits de l'homme et des peuples (Burkinabé Movement for Human and Peoples' Rights, MBDHP).

According to RSF, "not one of the six suspects mentioned by the independent committee of inquiry has yet been charged, and... François Compaoré, the head of state's brother, has not even been questioned by the examining magistrate." RSF urges the European Union and the country's other financial backers "to put pressure on the Ouagadougou government to ensure that the murders of Norbert Zongo and his three companions are clarified." RSF has also launched a press campaign around Zongo's case in West Africa. In seven countries in the region, 20 newspapers agreed to advertise a photograph of Zongo's burned vehicle with the attached message, "To the president of Burkina Faso: You made promises about the killers of journalist Norbert Zongo. Did they go up in smoke too?" A full copy of the report can be viewed on RSF's website: http://www.rsf.fr.

In addition, ARTICLE 19 reports that seven human rights defenders in Burkina Faso will go before the courts next week for their involvement in the widespread protests of the murders on 13 December. The individuals, who face up to five years in prison under the charge of "undermining army morale in connection with a Declaration published at the end of November," will go before the courts on 27 December. The declaration urged the government to respect the rights of those campaigning against impunity and those participating in the protests. On 13 December, 50,000 people in Burkina Faso peacefully marched in commemoration of Zongo and his companions and in protest of the impunity with which the cases have been handled. According to ARTICLE 19, "five of the seven facing charges are members of the Collective of grassroots democratic organisations and opposition parties, a leading civil society organisation." The MBDHP is a member of the Collective. The other two charged are journalists who aided in publishing the Declaration. [Updates IFEX "Communique" #8-47.]