Valere Somé says that Jean-Pierre Palm tortured him and others while he was imprisoned after Thomas Sankara was killed. Somé also accuses Salif Diallo of having tortured Saran Sérémé. Very serious accusations. The only other occasion I can think of when someone in Burkina Faso has actually directly accused a specific individual, was when Marcel Kafando, Edmond Koama and Ousseni Yaro were found guilty of the killing of David Ouédraogo (though they were subsequently released on appeal) and possibly also killing Norbert Zongo and three companions. The ex-President Blaise Compaoré’s brother, Francois Compaoré, was widely accused in public of having ordered the killings of both David Ouédraogo and Norbert Zongo. The gloves are coming off, but unfortunately the transition government has not put in place and kind of truth commission.
« Les nuits froides de Décembre, l’exil ou… la mort » est un livre d’histoire. En 92 pages, l’ancien compagnon du président Thomas Sankara raconte les horreurs inhumaines subies par lui et ses camarades à la gendarmerie. « Je persiste et signe : c’est le Capitaine Jean-Pierre Palm, commandant de la gendarmerie nationale, qui à l’époque, a ordonné et supervisé les tortures que mes camarades (Salvi Charles Somé, Firmin Diallo, et Basile Guissou) et moi avons subies lors de notre détention » peut-on lire dans le document.
Michael Kevane 