Diendéré is suspected of having been directly involved in the October 1987 coup that resulted in the death of Thomas Sankara and installed Blaise Compaoré in power.

[4] During Compaoré's 27 years in power, Diendéré was considered one of his key allies in the military and served as chief of staff and head of the elite Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP) although he was also viewed as a shadowy figure.

[5] Members of the RSP launched a coup on 16 September 2015 and detained President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida.

[3] However, the junta failed to consolidate its authority across the country and faced pressure from regional leaders and eventually the regular army.

[12][dead link‍][14] In April 2022, the military tribunal of Ouagadougou again condemned Diendéré to a life sentence because of his role in the 1987 killing of Sankara.