After a trial that has lasted since October 2021, the former president of Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaore, was found guilty on Wednesday in the capital Ouagadougou, and sentenced to life in prison for his complicity in the killing of his predecessor, Thomas Sankara. Compaore has lived in exile since 2014 and is unlikely to serve any of that term, but as we hear from host Marco Werman, the verdict and sentence were a relief to many in Burkina Faso.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?