20 Facts About Norbert Zongo

Norbert Zongo was assassinated after his newspaper began investigating the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of Compaore.

Norbert Zongo was born in the Koudougou region, French Upper Volta on 31 July 1949 into the Gnougnoossi family, a prominent subset of the Mossi people.

Norbert Zongo was able to finish his education in journalism at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon.

Norbert Zongo was a supporter of human rights and helped found the Movement for Human and Peoples' Rights, an organization in Burkina Faso.

Norbert Zongo's remains are buried in Gounghin Military Cemetery located just West of Ouagadougou.

In 1971, Norbert Zongo began his career as a teacher in Ouagadougou, Kadiogo Province.

Norbert Zongo's first novel Le Parachutage was a thinly disguised political critique of Togo's President Gnassingbe Eyadema set in the post-colonial era.

Norbert Zongo followed this novel with the colonial setting for Rougbeinga two years later, which was political satire of leadership.

In 1991, Norbert Zongo, after working for the national daily paper Sidwaya, founded La Clef with Saturnin Ki.

Norbert Zongo reported the case and wrote small excerpts every week for his newspaper.

Norbert Zongo began getting death threats and the government ignored them.

Norbert Zongo was told that Norbert would often be followed by a car while on his motorbike.

Norbert Zongo was approached to convince him to drop his investigation, but he continued until his death.

Marcel Kafando, Edmond Koama and Ousseini Yaro, who are suspects in the Norbert Zongo case, were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

In 2006, Norbert Zongo's case was determined closed with no one found guilty, which enraged civil rights defenders and citizens of Burkino Faso.

Norbert Zongo remains the primary publisher and editor in memory of her late husband.

In 2014, it was determined that Norbert Zongo's case was unfairly excused due to a bias in government.

Norbert Zongo defended a democratic ideal and had chosen to become involved, with his newspaper, in the struggle for the respect of human rights and justice, and against the poor management of the public sector and impunity.

Many Burkinabe journalists accredit Norbert Zongo with being the first writer in the country to practice investigative journalism.

In 2001 Norbert Zongo was posthumously given the Integrity Award for his work to expose government corruption.