Africa-Press. Burkina Faso’s ruling military authorities have announced a series of unprecedented measures to combat corruption, marking what they describe as a shift from awareness-raising to a policy of immediate and public punishment. The spokesperson for the anti-corruption commission unveiled details of a new plan dubbed by the military leadership the “Progressive Popular Revolution”.
The strategy focuses on practices the authorities consider deeply entrenched within the public administration, particularly bribery linked to traffic controls. To eliminate direct financial transactions between citizens and police officers, the government has introduced electronic cards. Under this system, the documents of an offending driver are confiscated in exchange for the card, while the fine is paid electronically to the state treasury. Documents are returned only after the completion of community service, in an effort to link punishment with an educational dimension.
Alongside technical reforms, the authorities have adopted a deterrence strategy based on “evidence through images”. Videos broadcast on national television show police officers, a surgeon and a civil servant receiving bribes. The government said such footage will be aired regularly, and that any official caught in the act will face immediate sanctions with no grace period.
These measures coincide with the opening, on 2 February, of a high-profile trial involving several judges and lawyers accused of corruption and abuse of power. They also come amid controversy over alleged embezzlement of bonuses intended for the “Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland”, an auxiliary force supporting the army.
The government has also urged citizens to use the national hotline to report any attempted bribery or corruption, stressing that the fight against the phenomenon will rely not only on state institutions but also on public vigilance.
