adminAbidjan — Burkina Faso cancelled an international arrest warrant for Cote d’Ivoire’’s former prime minister Guillaume Soro on Monday, the latest twist in a saga which has tainted diplomatic relations between the countries for months.
Ouagadougou wanted to bring in Soro, who is currently parliament speaker in neighbouring Cote d’Ivoire, over his alleged role in a short-lived coup in Burkina last year.
But on Monday military prosecutor Commander Alioune Zanre announced that Burkina would be handing over responsibility for the matter to Cote d’Ivoire
Zanre said Interpol had refused to assist with the extradition of Soro because the crime was linked to political offences and he may be tried in a military court.
Former Ivorian rebel leader and prime minister Soro was wanted by Burkina after telephone wiretaps allegedly revealed he supported a putsch there last September.
The attempted coup was staged by troops from a presidential guard loyal to former Burkinabe president Blaise Compaore but was thwarted by street protesters and the army, which attacked the plotters’ barracks. — AFP.
derick.khumalo