He slashed the salaries of ministers and sold off the fleet of exotic cars in the presidents convoy, opting instead for the cheapest brand of car available in burkina faso, renault 5. His father, joseph sankara, a gendarme, was of mixed mossifulani silmimoaga heritage while his mother, marguerite kinda, was of direct mossi descent. A solider who shunned violence, but was prepared to fight the neocolonial establishment, to build a strong, selfsufficient and independent africa. It is 28 years, since his brutal assassination on october 15 1987. Burkina faso opens graves to answer questions about thomas. Thomas sankara citations 10 citations citations celebres. Thomas sankara is a charismatic revolution hero from burkina faso, the name he gave the country meaning land of upright man. Assistant professor, department of interdisciplinary arts and sciences.
Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. Inspired designs on tshirts, posters, stickers, home decor, and more by independent artists and designers from around the world. The life, politics and legacies of thomas sankara, murrey a. Thomas isidore noel sankara 19491987 was a burkinabe military captain, marxist revolutionary, panafricanist theorist, and president of burkina faso from 1983 to 1987. I would like to situate my ideas within the geopolitical context of the popular uprisings that continue to take place around the world as people organise against neoliberal policies of advanced capitalism and. Oct 20, 2016 thomas sankara speech on debt and unity posted by. Sankara was the first president of burkina faso, an authentic revolutionary who managed in just four years to transform his society and his homeland in a way it is doubtful most would believe to be possible if told, before his assassination in 1987 and the destruction of his revolution by his. A portrait composed of archives of thomas sankara, president of burkina faso between 1983 and his murder in 1987. The approximate timing of his appearance in the country coincided with the assassination of president thomas sankara, the charismatic revolutionary leader of burkina faso, on 15 october 1987. I the undersigned, hereby voluntarily, without any personal or business interest, have chosen out of my free will and without prejudice to serve the public as an elected representative of the people an employee in the public sector. Thomas sankara and the revolution in burkina faso history essay. It would be difficult to find a less corrupt, selfserving leader than thomas sankara anywhere in the world. To symbolize this rebirth, he renamed his country from the french colonial upper volta to burkina faso, land of upright men and launched the most ambitious program for social and economic change ever attempted on the african continent.
Sankzara had accumulated respect of many of his followers, and a bright proof of that was the readiness of young officers to demonstrate when he was imprisoned by the president. Thomas sankara photographed a year before his death in 1986. Born december 21, 1949, at yako, upper volta now burkina faso, sankara was a military officer and panafricanist who became the president of the upper volta and ruled from august 4, 1983, after a military coup organized by. Thomas sankara can be considered as highly transformational leader, not completely though. He shaped the history of africa, attempted to challenge the world order and instilled fear in his powerful contemporaries in the 1980s.
Thomas sankara quotes author of thomas sankara speaks. May 25, 2015 a policeman prevents people from entering the dagnoen cemetery, ouagadougou as the bodies of people including thomas sankara, the burkina faso revolutionary leader, are exhumed. Biography of former burkina fasos president, thomas sankara. Thomas sankara was a panafrican revolutionary, a staunch idealist who lived and ultimately died for his belief in the african continent. Thomas sankara and the assassination of africas memory. There is a certain tragedy in the life of thomas sankara, and it is not at first glance obvious. The documents my blog thomas sankara official website. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. Thomas sankaras quote on the slave and fighting african. Demo demands justice for slain burkina leader sankara. Africanglobe thomas sankara was burkina fasos president from august 1983 until his assassination on october 15, 1987. Dec 01, 1988 there is a certain tragedy in the life of thomas sankara, and it is not at first glance obvious.
The life and work of thomas sankara can be taken as a reminder of both the power and potential for human agency to enact transformation. Lun deux orient le livre remporter le titre thomas sankara. A policeman prevents people from entering the dagnoen cemetery, ouagadougou as the bodies of people including thomas sankara, the burkina faso revolutionary leader, are exhumed. Julius malemas economic freedom fighters have invoked the legacy of former burkina faso president thomas sankara as a model of governance they apparently wish to.
As mandela is to south africa, so also is thomas to burkina faso. A retrospective comparison of jerry rawlings and thomas sankara. One response to thomas sankara, in his own words how imperialist aid blocks development in africa books of the month column printed below is an excerpt from we are heirs of the worlds revolutions, a collection of speeches by thomas sankara, leader of the burkina faso revolution. An archive portrait of thomas sankara, the man who became president of burkina faso at the age of 33 and wanted to transform his countrys mentality. Nov 05, 20 julius malemas economic freedom fighters have invoked the legacy of former burkina faso president thomas sankara as a model of governance they apparently wish to emulate. Thomas isidore noel sankara 21 december 1949 15 october 1987 was a burkinabe military captain, marxist revolutionary, panafricanist theorist, and president of burkina faso from 1983 to 1987. Thomas sankara speaks pathfinder press, 2007, 447 pages the life of the great african hero thomas sankara this is a compilation of some of the great speeches made by the great african hero, the burkina faso president thomas sankara, who between 1983 to 1987 led one of the great african revolutionary governments. Nearly thirty years after his assassination, african revolutionary thomas sankara is still inspiring the struggle for selfdetermination. Thomas sankara rose to power in burkina faso in a popularly supported coup in 1983. Dans cet article, je partage avec vous 20 citations inspirantes du capitaine thomas sankara qui a su graver son nom parmi les leaders qui ont le plus marque leur generation.
After renaming his country to burkina faso, heres thomas sankaras accomplishments, only 4 years in power 198387. Thomas sankara was born thomas isidore noel sankara on 21 december 1949 in yako, french upper volta as the third of ten children to joseph and marguerite sankara. The thomas sankara oath black first land first blf. He came to power at the age of 32 via a military coup to oust former. Jul 15, 2016 therefore, it is with deep nostalgia that i remember an iconic african revolutionary, a pragmatic visionary and an upright man, thomas isidore sankara, the former president of burkina faso. Thomas sankara began by purging the deeply entrenched bureaucratic and institutional corruption in burkina faso. Oct 14, 2012 today sankara is not well known outside africa his character and ideas simply dont fit with the notion of africa which has been constructed in the west over the last 30 years. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Thomas sankara quotes, assassination, biography, quick facts. Oct 15, 20 thomas sankara was burkina fasos president from august 1983 until his assassination on october 15, 1987. Thomas sankara was burkina fasos president from august 1983 until his assassination on october 15, 1987. Thomas sankara, le president qui roulait en renault 5. Ghanaian authorities eventually jailed taylor twice for his increasingly subversive activities. Perhaps, more than any other african president in living memory, thomas sankara, in four years, transformed burkina faso from a poor country, dependent on aid, to an economically independent and socially progressive nation.
Therefore, it is with deep nostalgia that i remember an iconic african revolutionary, a pragmatic visionary and an upright man, thomas isidore sankara, the former president of burkina faso. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt. Its the international day for the elimination of violence against women today and in recognition of this dedicated day and the 16 consecutive international activist days, i am sharing quotes from one of the best speeches on womens liberation and the african freedom struggle by one of the most extraordinary leaders of modern history, former burkinabe president, thomas. Facts about thomas sankara in burkina faso africa facts. As far as african leadership goes, thomas sankara was cut from a different piece of cloth. Thomas sankara speaks pathfinder press, 2007, 447 pages the life of the great african hero thomas sankara this is a compilation of some of the great speeches made by the great african hero, the burkina faso president thomas sankara, who between 1983 to. Burkina fasos revolutionary hero thomas sankara to be.