Thomas Sankara (1949 - 1987)

Wed Dec 21, 1949

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Thomas Sankara, born on this day in 1949, was a Burkinabé revolutionary who was President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987. A Marxist-Leninist and pan-Africanist, he was viewed by supporters as a charismatic and iconic figure of revolution and is sometimes referred to as “Africa’s Che Guevara”.

Sankara came into power when allies instigated a coup on his behalf in 1983. He immediately launched programs for social, ecological, and economic change, as well as renaming the country from the French colonial “Upper Volta” to Burkina Faso (“Land of Incorruptible People”), with its people being called Burkinabé (“upright people”).

His administration was known for refusing foreign aid to remain politically independent, nationalizing the country’s land and mineral wealth, and promoting literacy, women’s rights, and public health. Among the achievements of his administration was vaccinating 2.5 million children against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles.

On October 15th, 1987, Sankara was assassinated by troops led by Blaise Compaoré, who assumed leadership of the state shortly after having him killed. A week before his assassination, Sankara declared: “While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.”