Norbert Zongo

Norbert Zongo was born on July 31, 1949, in Koudougou. A courageous novelist and journalist writing under the pseudonym 'Henri Sebgo', Zongo founded the independent weekly newspaper L'Indépendant in 1993, which quickly became the most respected investigative voice in West Africa, relentlessly exposing corruption and human rights abuses under Blaise Compaoré's regime.

In 1998, Zongo launched a relentless investigation into the torture and murder of David Ouédraogo, the chauffeur of the President's brother François Compaoré. On December 13, 1998, Zongo and three traveling companions were ambushed near Sapouy, shot, and incinerated in their vehicle. His martyrdom sparked mass civil protests and general strikes that permanently altered Burkinabé political culture. Norbert Zongo University in Koudougou bears his name.