Burkina Faso condemns extortion over Laabal card
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Netafrique
Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Security has warned road-control officers against misusing the Laabal card, which is intended to regulate the payment of fines and limit corruption. In a statement published in Ouagadougou on 29 October, it urged road users to demand the card and officers to fulfil their obligations, Netafrique reports.
Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Security has condemned the misuse of the Laabal card by officers during road checks, with some practices amounting to extortion. In a statement published in Ouagadougou on Thursday 29 October 2026, the minister urged offending road users to insist on receiving the card, Netafrique reports.
The Laabal card allows offenders to avoid having their vehicles routinely impounded and to pay their fines at a later date. The scheme also aims to limit cash deals on the roadside.
The ministry called for mutual respect between the security forces and the public. It described using the card as a way for road users to assert their rights and condemned practices contrary to the principles of probity promoted by the Popular Progressive Revolution.
