20110606
Xinhua
OUAGADOUGOU, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso will prosecute the 57 mutineers arrested last week in the country economic capital Bobo Dioulasso, according to the West African country's Justice Minister Jerome Traore.

The mutineers were detained during an operation to disarm rioting soldiers in Bobo Dioulasso, where they occupied a military camp for days to press for a pay rise.

At the weekend, Traore said mutiny itself constitutes a crime and that opening a door to a weapons' store is equally an offence.

Speaking about the rebellious situation, the minister noted that rebelling within barracks and rebelling outside of the barracks are different.

He explained that beyond the mutiny, the violence that was meted out to civilians as well as the looting that was carried out in shops and homes equally constituted very serious crimes, even more than the normal robbery.

The disarmament operation at the Ouezzin Coulibaly camp left at least seven people dead, including a young girl who was shot by a stray bullet.

During the same operation, 20 people were injured, 57 mutineers were arrested and property worth was destroyed.

The disarmament began on Friday, with soldiers loyal to the country's president taking control of the Ouezzin Coulibaly camp. They also managed to recover some of the goods that had been stolen from traders in Bobo Dioulasso.

From May 31 to June 2, soldiers in the Ouezzin Coulibaly camp descended on the town's streets and started shooting in the air and looting from traders.