Togo’s Ministry of Justice on Tuesday confirmed the extradition of former Burkinabè transitional president Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba to Burkina Faso, following accusations of corruption, embezzlement, and involvement in attempted coups against the current regime of Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

On January 12, the judicial authorities in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, submitted a formal extradition request accompanied by an international arrest warrant and specific charges to the Togolese authorities. An examination was then conducted to determine the regularity and legality of the request. Upon the determination of the veracity of the request by the Investigative Chamber of the Court of Appeal, the former president was apprehended on January 16 under the international arrest warrant and was brought before the Lomé Investigative Chamber of the Court of Appeal.

The Lomé Investigative Chamber of the Court of Appeal issued an indictment, followed by a ruling authorizing extradition. The extradition decision was based on “the offer of reciprocity from the Burkinabè authorities, the international instruments to which Togo is a party, and the guarantees provided by those authorities regarding respect for the physical integrity and dignity” of Damiba, his right to a fair trial, and the absence of the death penalty.

Togo authorities handed him over to Burkinabè authorities on January 17, and criminal charges have been issued against him in Burkina Faso for embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, corruption, incitement to commit crimes, money laundering, and an alleged role in attempted coups against the Traoré government.

Damiba led Burkina Faso from January to September 2022, after ousting President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who served from December 2015. Damiba himself was overthrown by Captain Ibrahim Traoré in September 2022 and fled to Lomé, Togo. He has been accused of plotting repeated coup attempts against Traoré’s government while in exile.

The extradition sets a precedent for regional cooperation regarding former leaders accused of undertaking destabilizing activities.