Togo has extradited Burkina Faso’s former transitional president, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, to Ouagadougou, where authorities accuse him of orchestrating multiple attempted coups, the government confirmed on Tuesday.
Damiba came to power in January 2022 after toppling Burkina Faso’s elected government, but his rule lasted barely nine months before he was removed in another coup that ushered in the current military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore.
Since fleeing into exile in Togo, the former leader has repeatedly been accused by Burkina Faso’s ruling junta of plotting to destabilise the country, including alleged coup schemes and assassination attempts, with the most recent claims emerging earlier this month.
According to a statement by Togolese Justice Minister Pacome Adjourouvi, Damiba was arrested in Lome on January 16 “in execution of an arrest warrant accompanied by an extradition request” transmitted by Burkinabe authorities four days earlier. The statement added that he was subsequently “handed over to the authorities” in Ouagadougou the following day.
Burkina Faso is prosecuting Damiba on a range of serious allegations, including “criminal embezzlement of public funds, criminal illicit enrichment, corruption, incitement to commit offences and crimes, aggravated concealment and money laundering”. The Togolese government said it approved the extradition after receiving assurances from Burkina Faso regarding Damiba’s physical safety and his right to due process.
Adjourouvi also emphasised that the decision took into account the “absence of the death penalty” in the case, despite Burkina Faso having recently reinstated capital punishment for crimes related to high treason.
The extradition marks a significant development in relations between the two West African states and underscores the Burkinabe junta’s determination to pursue former power brokers accused of threatening the current order.
What you should know
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is a former military officer who briefly led Burkina Faso during a turbulent period marked by jihadist violence and political instability.
His overthrow in 2022 reflected deep divisions within the armed forces over strategy and leadership. Since then, the Traore-led junta has tightened its grip on power while accusing exiled figures of plotting against the state.
Damiba’s extradition signals a regional willingness to cooperate on security and judicial matters, even as Burkina Faso navigates controversial policies such as the reinstatement of the death penalty for certain offences.
