Norbert Zongo
Encyclopedia
Norbert Zongo was the publisher and editor of the Burkina Faso
newspaper l'Indépendant. He was assassinated after his newspaper began investigating the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of President Blaise Compaoré
.
On December 13, 1998, Zongo's burned body was found along with bodies of his brother Ernest Zongo, chauffeur Ablasse Nikiema, and Blaise Ilboudo, in a vehicle near Sapouy, some 100 kilometers south of the capital city of Ouagadougou
. An Independent Commission of Inquiry later concluded that Norbert Zongo was killed for purely political reasons because of his investigative work into the death of President Blaise Compaoré's brother Francois's driver, David Ouedraogo.
In January 1999, Francois Compaoré, President Blaise Compaoré
's brother, was charged with murder and harbouring the body of the victim in connection with the death of David Ouedraogo, his chauffeur, who had died as a result of torture in January 1998. The charges were later dropped by a military tribunal after Francois Compaoré appealed against them.
In August 2000, five members of the presidential security were charged for the murder of Ouedraogo. Marcel Kafando, Edmond Koama and Ousseini Yaro, who are also suspects in the Norbert Zongo case, were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Edmond Koama died on January 4, 2001.
The singer Alpha Blondy
wrote a song "Journalistes en danger" about the assassination of Norbert Zongo.
On July 19, 2006, charges were dropped against the only person charged in the Zongo case, Marcel Kafando. This judgment has been called scandalous by Reporters Without Borders
.
Zongo is the author of a novel that has been translated into English and is entitled The Parachute Drop, published by Africa World Press in 2004. Samples of his journalism have been translated into English and may be found assembled in an articled entitled "The Mobutuization of Burkina Faso," in The Desert Shore: Literatures of the Sahel, edited by Christopher Wise
(Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers
, 2001).
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
newspaper l'Indépendant. He was assassinated after his newspaper began investigating the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
.
On December 13, 1998, Zongo's burned body was found along with bodies of his brother Ernest Zongo, chauffeur Ablasse Nikiema, and Blaise Ilboudo, in a vehicle near Sapouy, some 100 kilometers south of the capital city of Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
. An Independent Commission of Inquiry later concluded that Norbert Zongo was killed for purely political reasons because of his investigative work into the death of President Blaise Compaoré's brother Francois's driver, David Ouedraogo.
In January 1999, Francois Compaoré, President Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987 following a coup d'état that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown...
's brother, was charged with murder and harbouring the body of the victim in connection with the death of David Ouedraogo, his chauffeur, who had died as a result of torture in January 1998. The charges were later dropped by a military tribunal after Francois Compaoré appealed against them.
In August 2000, five members of the presidential security were charged for the murder of Ouedraogo. Marcel Kafando, Edmond Koama and Ousseini Yaro, who are also suspects in the Norbert Zongo case, were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Edmond Koama died on January 4, 2001.
The singer Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy
Alpha Blondy is a reggae singer and international recording artist. Alpha Blondy was born Seydou Koné in Dimbokro, Côte d'Ivoire. He sings mainly in his native language of Dioula, in French and English, and sometimes in Arabic or Hebrew...
wrote a song "Journalistes en danger" about the assassination of Norbert Zongo.
On July 19, 2006, charges were dropped against the only person charged in the Zongo case, Marcel Kafando. This judgment has been called scandalous by Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
.
Zongo is the author of a novel that has been translated into English and is entitled The Parachute Drop, published by Africa World Press in 2004. Samples of his journalism have been translated into English and may be found assembled in an articled entitled "The Mobutuization of Burkina Faso," in The Desert Shore: Literatures of the Sahel, edited by Christopher Wise
Christopher Wise
Christopher Wise is a scholar and professor of English and Comparative Literature at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington...
(Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Lynne Rienner Publishers
Lynne Rienner Publishers is an independent scholarly and textbook publishing firm. It was founded in 1984 and publishes in the fields of international studies and comparative world politics. It also publishes books about US politics, sociology and criminology. It also translates foreign books to...
, 2001).
Sources cited
- Judge dismisses sole suspect in Zongo's Murder — IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- Amnesty International: "Burkina Faso: Amnesty International Welcomes Progress in the Norbert Zongo Case" Le Monde