Burkina Faso has issued an international warrant for ousted leader Blaise Compaoré for his suspected role in the 1987 killing of his former comrade, ex-president Thomas Sankara, a judicial source said Monday.

Compaoré, who was ousted in October 2014 and is living in exile in neighbouring Ivory Coast, has been charged with assassinating Sankara, a Burkinabe judicial source told FRANCE 24’s sister radio station RFI.

Sankara -- a popular Burkinabe revolutionary figure dubbed “Africa’s Che Guevara” – was killed on October 15, 1987 during a military coup that brought his former comrade-in-arms Compaoré to power.

Speaking to RFI, Sankara’s widow, Mariam Sankara, welcomed the latest reports. “We would be pleased if it’s true,” she said.

Sankara’s killing has been one of Africa’s most compelling murder mysteries, sparking rumours and allegations.

As Sankara’s stature as a legendary figure grew across the continent, with fans adopting his signature red beret and protesters across Africa waving his photograph, the mystery and intrigue behind his assassination has only increased.

Compaoré, who ruled the impoverished West African nation for 27 years before his October 2014 ouster, has long been suspected of involvement in Sankara’s murder.

No DNA traces yet

A police lab helping investigate the killing of the iconic former president on Monday said it had not managed to detect any of his DNA in the remains presumed to be his, according to a family lawyer.

Remains believed to be those of Sankara and 12 former aides also killed during the coup were exhumed from a cemetery in the capital Ouagadougou in May.

At least five other people, mostly former soldiers, have been charged in connection with Sankara's killing -- including General Gilbert Diendéré, Compaoré's former chief of staff, who led a failed coup in September.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)