Burkina Faso: Freeze on the assets of ex-president Damiba and several other prominent figures
The transitional authorities in Burkina Faso have ordered the freezing of assets and economic resources belonging to 113 individuals and two organizations, as per a decree signed on November 19, 2024, by the Minister of Economy, Dr. Aboubacar Nakanabo. This measure targets individuals allegedly involved in or financing terrorism, as part of government efforts to enhance national security.
Notable figures affected include Paul Henri Damiba, a former transitional president, and two ex-ministers of foreign affairs: General Djibril Bassolé and journalist Alpha Barry.
Other prominent names listed are journalists Abdoulaye Barry and Newton Ahmed Barry, as well as Aziz Diallo, a former deputy mayor of Dori.
Several military officers, including those previously dismissed from service, are also implicated. These include Amed Kinda, former commander of the National Theater of Operations Command (COTN), Yves Didier Bamouni, and Roméo Ouoba, a former commander of special forces.
They had been accused earlier of participating in a suspected plan to destabilize the Transition.
The sanctions extend to several terrorist groups operating in Burkina Faso, including the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM), the Macina Liberation Front, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, Almourabitoune, and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS).
Effective for an initial six-month period, renewable, these measures aim to curb terrorism financing and block access to resources that could be used against the state.
This decisive action underscores the transitional government’s commitment to restoring stability and safeguarding Burkina Faso’s sovereignty.
Cédric KABORE
