General apologises for role in botched coup

One of the ringleaders of a short-lived coup in Burkina Faso in 2015 has apologised to the victims of the attempted putsch that left 14 people dead. General Gilbert Diendere led an elite unit of presidential guards loyal to long-time ruler Blaise Compaore, who was ousted in 2014. A year later, Diendere and forces loyal to him then tried to overthrow the transitional government.‘The long-awaited moment for me has arrived, this moment where I address the real victims of events, the injured, and parents of dead victims,’ Diendere told a military court in the capital Ouagadougou. ‘Since a long time, I hear your cries, your tears and I share your pain,’ added Diendere. A report on the News24 site notes that he is charged with treason, murder and threatening state security. Diendere who is one of 84 defendants in the case has denied leading the coup attempt in September 2015, which also left 270 wounded.

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