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August 06, 2006
What a difference a week makes in Burkina Faso
The death of Joseph Sankara, father of former president Thomas Sankara,this week has added to a week already full of emotive memories for Burkina Faso.
Yesterday, August 5th, was Burkina Faso's Independance Day. On Aug. 5, 1960, Upper Volta, as it was then called, achieved full independence from France, and the country is therefore just 68 days older than me! The new president Maurice Yameogo inherited an impoverished country that had lacked the kind of investment France had given to neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire, and he was later deposed in a coup in 1966.
The day before, Friday August 4th, was the anniversary of the "Popular Revolution" that brought the remarkable Thomas Sankara to power in 1983, and of the changing of the country's name to Burkina Faso ("Land of Honourable Men") in 1984. Thomas Sankara, "Africa's Che Guevara", was committed to social welfare, women's rights, and eradicating corruption. His rule was however at times somewhat extreme, and he was eventually deposed himself by the current president, Blaise Compaore. He was killed during that coup.
Thomas Sankara is today remembered with popular affection, and the death of his father Joseph, aged 85, on Friday August 4th, the same day as the anniversary of the revolution, must have been particularly poignant for the population. The death of Joseph Sankara has been noted in several of the country's newspapers, including Sidwaya , and l'Observateur.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso thomas sankara independance coup upper volta
Posted by Keith at August 6, 2006 09:12 PM