Sankara, a charismatic Marxist revolutionary often referred to as ‘Che Guevara of Africa’, was murdered in a coup led by his former friend Compaore.
A military court on Tuesday accused Compaore of complicity in the murder, undermining state security and receiving cadavers, a court document seen by Reuters revealed.
Compaore’s former right-hand man, General Gilbert Diendere, was also charged with several crimes related to Sankara’s murder, including complicity in the murder.
Diendere, who has been in prison since a failed coup in 2015, was in court to hear the charges. He will make a plea later.
Burkina Faso issued an arrest warrant against Compaore in 2015, but the Ivory Coast has refused to extradite him.
Sankara, who seized power at the age of 33 in a 1983 coup d’état, was known for his signature military fatigues and red beret and rejecting a lavish lifestyle.
In four years as president, he became the first African leader to denounce the threat of AIDS, took a stand against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and promoted women’s rights by opposing female genital mutilation and polygamy.