The remains of slain former president Thomas Sankara and 12 of his colleagues who were assassinated during a coup d’etat in 1987 will be exhumed later on Monday.
Judicial sources are quoted as saying the process will go ahead today. The order to exhume the body was given by authorities in March so that it could be formally identified.
Younger brother Paul Sankara said the exhumation will answer a number of key questions, including how Sankara was killed, who killed him, and where he is buried.
The coup that killed Sankara put Blaise Compaore into power for 27 years, until a major popular uprising late last year led to his removal.
Sankara’s remains are said to be buried in a cemetary of the Dagnoen district of Ouagadougou, but his family and supporters doubt that is true.
Throughout his years in power, Compaore refused to investigate Sankara’s murder.
The body is believed to be buried in a cemetery in Ouagadougou, but the family said it hasn’t seen the body since the assassination.
Sankara said, once these questions are answered, then those responsible for his brother’s death will have to answer for it.
“The exhumation of the bodies is one part of the process. The most important thing is to define who, where and how Thomas was assassinated. The exhumations would be some evidence, proof, that indeed the remains of Thomas’ body is in a given grave because no one in the large African family has seen the body of Thomas,” he said
He said forensic might help in determining who assassinated his brother and, once that is determined, then the family will seek justice and reconciliation.
He said the demand for justice for Sankara is being made not only by his biological or political family, but his entire African and global family.
