strained relations with regional bloc Ecowas, which wants democratic rule to be restored in the Sahel<\/a>.<\/p>\nMany of Traor\u00e9’s supporters allege that Ivory Coast, a Ecowas member, wanted to silence Traor\u00e9 over his dissent against the bloc.<\/p>\n
The activist led a huge community online – on Facebook alone he had more than 400,000 followers.<\/p>\n
When Traor\u00e9 was arrested in January, human rights groups and Traor\u00e9’s supporters said the charges against him were politically motivated.<\/p>\n
In response to the activist’s death, Burkinab\u00e9 Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traor\u00e9 called for “full light to be shed on this tragedy” and demanded the body be repatriated to Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n
He criticised the Ivorian authorities for announcing Traor\u00e9’s death in a public statement on social media, and allegedly not contacting his family first.<\/p>\n
“There is a great deal of contempt, a lack of respect and courtesy for the authorities and the people of Burkina Faso, and it is even more so for the family of the deceased who discovered such painful news on social media,” the foreign minister said.<\/p>\n
He added that on Monday, he summoned the Charg\u00e9 d’Affaires of the Ivorian Embassy in Burkina Faso in order to obtain verbal confirmation of Traor\u00e9’s death.<\/p>\n
Ivory Coast’s public prosecutor has said investigations into the “motives and circumstances” of Traor\u00e9’s “suicide” were under way.<\/p>\n
Traor\u00e9 had moved from Bukina Faso to Ivory Coast with his family in 2021. While there, he owned a restaurant.<\/p>\n
Beyond digital activism, Traor\u00e9 organised aid for displaced civilians.<\/p>\n
Rights groups previously said Traor\u00e9 was detained in “inhumane” conditions and accused the Ivorian authorities of violating international human rights norms.<\/p>\n