Laurent Bado is a Burkinabé politician and member of the National Rebirth Party (PAREN).
Running as the PAREN presidential candidate in the 13 November 2005 elections, Bado placed 3rd out of 13 candidates, receiving 2.60% of the vote
Boureima Badini (May 25, 1956-) is a Burkinabé politician
Ali Barraud N’Goni (born January 31, 1918)[1] was a Burkinabé politician who served as Minister of Public Health and Population for Upper Volta.[2] He resigned his position on January 22, 1974.[3]
He was involved in the 1948 founding of the Voltaic Democratic Union (PDV),[4] which joined with the Social Party for the Emancipation of the African Masses (PSEMA) in 1956 to form the Unified Democratic Party (PDU) electoral alliance.[5]
From 1957 to 1959, he served as a member of the delegation of Upper Volta to the Grand Council of French Western Africa.[6] In 1971, he was elected Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization.[7]
Djibril Yipènè Bassolé (born November 30, 1957[1]) is a Burkinabé political figure and diplomat. He served in the government of Burkina Faso as Minister of Security from November 2000 to June 2007 and as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation from June 2007 to September 2008. Bassolé has been the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur since August 2008.
Bassolé was born in Nouna and joined the military, rising through the ranks.[1][2] He was a member of the International Committee for the monitoring of elections in Togo from 1993 to 1994,[3] and from 1994 to 1995 he was a member of the Mediation Committee working towards the resolution of the 1990–1995 Tuareg Rebellion in Niger.[2][3]
From January 11, 1999 to January 12, 2000, he served in the government of Burkina Faso as Deputy Minister in charge of Security. On November 12, 2000, he became Minister of Security,[1] serving in that position until he was appointed Foreign Minister, replacing Youssouf Ouédraogo, in the government of Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, named on June 10, 2007.[4]
On June 30, 2008, Bassolé was appointed as the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur.[2][3] Prior to taking up the post, he made a preparatory visit to Sudan on July 20, meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. During this visit, he said that he faced a difficult task in mediating between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels, but he said that it was “not mission impossible”. Some believed that Bassolé’s mission would be made more difficult by his inability to speak Arabic or English.[5] Bassolé took up his post as Chief Mediator on August 1, 2008.[6] He was replaced as Burkinabé Foreign Minister in the government appointed on September 3, 2008.[7]
Yéro Boly is a politician from Burkina Faso. Handled the Minister of Defense position of the country
Nazi Boni (December 31, 1909 in Bwan, Upper Senegal and Niger – May 16, 1969 in Kokologho, Upper Volta) was a politician from Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). In 1951 Boni was elected to the French National Assembly on behalf of the Voltaic Union. In 1955 Boni founded the African Popular Movement (MPA) after a split from the UV.[1] In January 1957, Boni’s MPA took part in the founding of the African Convention, a pan-African party that later merged into the African Regroupment Party.[2] In 1959 he founded a new party, the Republican Party for Liberty, in opposition to the attempts to make Upper Volta a one-party state under the Voltaic Democratic Union. Boni was forced into exile in Dakar, Senegal.[1]
In 1962, Boni wrote a novel, Le Crépuscule des temps anciens (The Twilight of the Bygone Days), which explored the precolonial existence of the Bwamu people.[3]
Blaise Compaoré (born February 3, 1951[1][2]) has been the President of Burkina Faso since 1987. He is the founder of the ruling political party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress. He has been implicated in the murder of Thomas Sankara, his predecessor, in the 1987 coup. He was elected President in 1991, in an election that was boycotted by the opposition; he was re-elected in 1998 and 2005.
He took power on October 15, 1987 in a bloody coup that killed Sankara, his predecessor as head of state. Compaoré described the killing of Sankara as an “accident”, however this claim is widely disputed. Upon taking the presidency, he reverted many of the policies of Sankara, claiming that his policy was a “rectification” of the Burkinabé revolution.
Soon after he became President he also eliminated two major revolutionary leaders, Henri Zongo and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, accused of plotting against the regime. Blaise Compaoré’s liability in connection with the assassination of Sankara has been the object of the first complaint against Burkina Faso, lodged by Mariam Sankara, Thomas Sankara’s widow. In April 2006, the UN Human Rights Committee issued a damning condemnation of Burkina Faso’s failure to investigate the circumstances of Thomas Sankara’s death (and prosecute those responsible for Sankara’s death).[3]
Murder of Norbert Zongo
President Compaoré and his Presidential Guard have been implicated in the death of reporter Norbert Zongo in December 1998 and continued intimidation of the media in Burkina Faso, according to the international organization Reporters Without Borders. The Norbert Zongo murder allegations highlighted one of the only times that Compaoré’s power has been truly questioned and jeopardized.[4]
Compaoré was elected president in 1991; main opposition parties boycotted in protest to the questionable means Compaoré used to take office in the first place, surrounding the murder of Sankara. In this election, only 25% of the electorate even participated, emphasizing tremendous political instability and protest amongst the masses.[5] In 1998 he was re-elected for the first time. In August 2005, he announced his intention to contest the next presidential election. Opposition politicians regard his 2005 re-election bid as unconstitutional due to a constitutional amendment in 2000 limiting a president to two terms, and reducing term lengths from seven to five years, thus barring Compaoré from seeking a third term. Compaoré’s supporters dispute this, saying that the amendment cannot be applied retroactively.[6] Notwithstanding opposition objections, in October 2005 the constitutional council ruled that because Compaoré was a sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply until the end of his second term in office, thereby allowing him to present his candidacy for the 2005 election.
On November 13, 2005, Compaoré was re-elected as President, defeating 12 opponents and winning 80.35% of the vote. Although 16 opposition parties announced a coalition to unseat Compaoré early on in the race, ultimately nobody wanted to give up their spot in the race to another leader in the coalition, and the pact fell through.[7] He has proposed a “National Reconciliation” that is not widely supported by his opposition.
Following Compaoré’s victory, he was sworn in for another term on December 20, 2005.[8]
In 1993, President Compaoré headed the Burkina-Faso delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African Development.[9]
Compaoré has been active as a mediator in regional issues. On July 26, 2006, he was designated as the mediator of the Inter-Togolese Dialogue, which was held in Ouagadougou in August 2006[10] and resulted in an agreement between the government and opposition parties.[11] He has also acted as mediator in the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, brokering the peace agreement that was signed by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and New Forces leader Guillaume Soro in Ouagadougou on March 4, 2007.[12]
He is an Honorary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
Joseph Issoufou Conombo (born February 9, 1917) served as Prime Minister of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) from 7 July 1978 to 25 November 1980. Before that he served as the mayor of Ouagadougou from 1961-1965.
Toubé Clément Dakio (born 1939) is a Burkinabé politician and member of the Union for Democracy and Development (UDD) party.
Running as the UDD presidential candidate in the 13 November 2005 elections, Dakio placed 12th out of 13 candidates, receiving 0.37% of the vote.
Bernadette Sanou Dao is an author of Burkina Faso born in Bamako on February 25, 1952. At age 11 her family returned to Burkina Faso. From 1986 to 1987 she was their Minister for Culture and is also the top poet in that nation. She currently lives in Ouagadougou
Hama Arba Diallo (born 23 March 1939) is a Burkinabé politician, diplomat and civil servant.
Diallo began entered the United Nations as the Director of the United Nations Sudano-Sahelian Office from 1979-1983. After leaving the U.N., Diallo became the foreign minister of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) under Captain Thomas Sankara from 1983-1984. From 1988-1989, Diallo served as the ambassador to China, India and Japan. Thereafter, Diallo returned to the United Nations as the Special Representative of the Secretary General for the Conference on Environment and Development from 1990-1992 and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification since 1996.
Salif Diallo (b. May 9, 1957, Ouahigouya, Yatenga) is a politician from Burkina Faso. He is the vice-president of the Congress for Democracy and Progress. [1]
Diallo was expelled from the University of Ouagadougou for having organized strikes and protests. He then belonged to the Voltaic Revolutionary Communist Party. In he went on to Dakar, Senegal, to continue his Master of Law studies there. At the University of Dakar, he and other students formed a Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. In 1985 he returned to Burkina Faso and joined the dissident and pro-Sankara splinter-faction of the PCRV, the Burkinabé Communist Group.[2]
Diallo became Assistant Justice Minister in 1986. Diallo was active in the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution. 1987-1990 he was the director of the Cabinet of the President. 1989-1991 he was secretary of state of the Burkinabé presidency. In he served as Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security. 1991-1995 Diallo was Minister of state in charge of the presidential missions. From 1995 to 1999 he was Minister of Environment and Water. 2002-2008 he was the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries Resources.[1][3] He was dismissed from the national government on March 23, 2008.[4][2]
Moumouni Fabre (November 28, 1953- in Bobo-Dioulasso) is a Burkinabé politician and diplomat.
Frederic Fernand Guirma is a writer and politician from Burkina Faso. He heads conservative political party Front de Refus or RDA and stood for presidential election in 2001.
Emile Ilboudo is a Burkinabé politician and diplomat.
He has served as the Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Côte d’Ivoire
Joseph Ki-Zerbo (June 21, 1922 – December 4, 2006, Burkina Faso) was a Burkinabé politician and writer. He spent his youth in Toma where he grew up in a rural context inside a big family. Ki-Zerbo himself declared that his first 11 years passed in a rural context marked his personality and thoughts. He was recognized as one of Africa’s foremost thinkers. He was educated both in his home country in missionary schools at Toma, and Pabre (around 20 miles from the capital). Also, he studied at Faladie in Mali and after at [Sorbonne University], which is one of the most prestigious schools in France. After getting his aggregation degree in History, he returned to Africa. Once back, he became politically active. From 1972 to 1978 he was Professor of African History at the University of Ouagadougou. But in 1983, he was forced into exile, only being able to return in 1992.
Ki-Zerbo founded his own party, the Party for Democracy and Progress/ Socialist Party, which he was chairman until 2005 and represented in the Burkina Faso parliament until 2006. Ki-Zerbo was also the best known opponent of the revolutionary government of the President Thomas Sankara. Ki-Zerbo was socialist and an exponent of an independent development of Africa and of Unity of the continent.
Ki Zerbo was the son of Alfred Diban Ki Zerbo and Therese Folo Ki[1] . His father was considered as the first Christian in the town. Indeed, we can understand his many attendances in catholic high school. Between 1933 and 1940, Ki-Zerbo was student in missionary schools at Torna in Pabre (about 20 mile from the capital Ouagadougou) in Burkina, and Faladie in Mali. He attended the seminary school at Koumi near to Bobo Dioulasso, the economic capital of Burkina Faso for higher teaching level. In Dakar Senegal, Ki-Zerbo taught many years and also found other subsistence jobs as many others migrate. As example, Hollenstein (2006) reported that he participated in the building of some railroads as part of the labor force while he found a job in a weekly newspaper “Afrique nouvelle” where he worked for several months[1]. At the age of 27 Ki-Zerbo earned a scholarship to Paris. He started studying history at the Sorbonne University in 1949 and was following at the same time some political science courses at[ the Institute of Political Studies] in [Paris]. After that, he finished brilliantly his [history] studies with an aggregation in History.
Ki-Zerbo’s political activities started while he was still student. He was the co- founder and president of the [Upper Volta] students in France (1950-1956). He was also the President of the Christian Students Association of Africa, Caribbean Islands, and Malgache. In 1954, according to Hollenstein (2006) Ki-Zerbo released an article in the newspapers “Tam-Tam” with the remarkable title “On demande des nationalists”[1]
. (In English, “we demand for nationalism”). In Paris, Ki-Zerbo met other intellectuals as the Senegalese historian Cheik Anta Diop, and the current president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade. During one of his tour in Western Africa in Mali, Ki-Zerbo met his wife Jacqueline Coulibaly. She is the daughter of a famous Malian syndicalist. After his studies, Ki-Zerbo became professor in history at [Orleans] and Paris. He taught in some public schools in 1957 in Dakar with a status of French employee and citizen. The second half of the 50 s’ was a deep disruption on the African continent with the different desires to access to [independence]. Barry (2007), a reporter of Rfi reported that in 1957, he created his party “le Mouvement de Liberation Nationale (MLN)”, (In English, National Freedom Movement), and he informed the first Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah about the MLN[2]. The MLN aims were immediate independence for Africans, creation of a United States of Africa, and socialism. MLN went to many other West African states to ask people to say “No” to the referendum on the creation of a Franco African community presented by the French President Charles de Gaulle. From all the West African countries, only Guinea Conakry got independence and voted No to the referendum. Barry (2007) mentioned as a result in his article that Sekou Toure the current President of Guinea Conakry at this time asked Ki-Zerbo and his wife with other volunteers to come to Conakry and replace the French teachers returned to France because of independence[2] . Ki-Zerbo came back to Burkina Faso in 1960. Ki-Zerbo justified his coming back in saying “I explained to Sekou that I have to go back home to pursue the fight for independence in others territories”. After some years of teaching, Ki-Zerbo was at this time the first and most qualified high school teacher of his country. He was nominated in 1965 as academy inspector and General Director of Juvenile, Sports and Education. Then, Ki-Zerbo was professor at the University of Ouagadougou (1968 to 1973). Ki-Zerbo was the co-founder and general director (from 1967 to1979) of the African and Malagasy Council on Higher Education (CAMES) that assures an academical autonomy of Africans countries. CAMES plays a role of pioneer in the research of African alternative medicine and promote scientific relief in Africa.
Ki-Zerbo exposed his social and political ideas in many released books on history and culture. He wrote a pedagogic manual called “Le Monde Africain Noir” in English “Black African World” that was released in 1963. In 1972, Ki-Zerbo released a famous book “Histoire de l’Afrique Noir” in English “History of Black Africa” that became the reference book in African history. Holentein (2006) described that in his book, Ki-Zerbo refuted the common belief of Africa as a black continent without culture and history[1]. He proved the contrary in saying that Africa had reached an upper level of political, social and cultural development before slavery and colonization. Written only few years after independence, Ki-Zerbo’s book represented the hope of many Africans of a brighter future in liberty and auto determination. Sitchet (2003), a reporter of Africulture argued that from 1972 to 1978 Ki-Zerbo was executive member of the UNESCO foundation (United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization)[3] . From 1976 to 2001, Ki Zerbo was also the President of African Historian Association and moreover a Professor at the University of Ouagadougou. His conviction on education led him to found in 1980, Centre for African Development Studies (CEDA) that has this goal “on ne developpe pas, on se developpe”. (In English, we don’t develop, we develop ourselves). Holenstein (2006) insisted that on the basis of a critic on the relation north-south imperialism, Ki-Zerbo forecast an endogenous development that will take seriously the ecological and social skills, and the African cultural identity[1]. His endogenous development is a practice that lets native farmers use their own ideas and traditions alongside new technology. It incorporates the ideas and knowledge of indigenous cultures rather than disregarding them.
After scientific researches and teaching, Ki-Zerbo continued with his political activities. Under the Burkinabe President Maurice Yameogo’s regime (1960-1966), the creation of any political party was forbidden. So, Holenstein (2006) explained in this article on the interview about Ki-Zerbo’s book “A quand l’Afrique”[1] . Ki Zerbo got his members in the syndical teachers’ class and villagers. The syndical and MLN played a big role in popular movement organization on 3 January 1966 that brought the break down of the President Maurice Yameogo. General Secretary of the MLN, Ki-Zerbo went to the 1970’s legislatives and he got 6th rank. In February the Burkina Faso Parliament is ruined because of a military Coup. In October the banning is cancelled. Many new parties arose like “Union Progressiste Voltaique (UPV) under the control of Ki Zerbo that replaced MLN. UPV was still in opposition to the government party (Union Democratique Voltaique- [Rassemblement Democratique Africain (UDV-RDA).]
In 1983, a group of young officers took the power by a military coup under the control of the Captain Thomas Sankara[2] . A new stage started for Upper Volta which became Burkina Faso “Land of integrity people”. Under the power of the new government, Ki-Zerbo was obliged to go into exile. Then, in 1985 he was finally arrested with his family for two years of detention and became free only after another military coup organized by the current President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore. Even in exile, he created some research center like the Research Centre for Endogenous Development (CRDE) and taught at Cheick Anta Diop University at Dakar and never came back until 1987. His library rich of eleven thousands books in his hometown Burkina Faso has been burned while he was still in exile. He came back and tried to rebuild everything in getting a place in parliament.
Ki-Zerbo knowledge and devotion to Africa have garnered him global recognition.[1] He got in 1977 the prize of Right Livelihood Award for his researches on the development. This prize is deserved to those who tried to find credible solutions to the protection of the environment and nature. Also for people who helped the development of human rightsand peace. In 2000, Ki-Zerbo also received the Al\-Gadafi international prize for human rights. In 2001, Ki-Zerbo got the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Padoue in Italy.
Ki-Zerbo as an Historian has published a number of books with endogenous development as the central theme:1964 : Le Monde africain noir (Paris, Hatier) ; 1972 : Histoire de l’Afrique noire (Paris, Hatier) ;1991 : Histoire générale de l’Afrique ;2003 : A quand l’Afrique, collaboration with René Holenstein (Editions de l’Aube, prix RFI Témoin du monde 2004) ;2005 : Afrique Noire, with Didier Ruef ( Infolio éditions) In addition, Ki Zerbo was an historian and politician engaged. As illustrated, Hollenstein (2006), Ki-Zerbo extended his fights internationally to make people recognize slavery as a humanity crime and Africa should get a refund for that[1] . He tried to mix science and political actions. Ki-Zerbo sums his philosophy up in the following quote : “The Africa which the world needs is a continent able to stand up, to walk on its own feet…it is an Africa conscious of its own past and able to keep on reinvesting this past into its present and future.”
Emmanuel Nayabtigungu Congo Kaboré (born 20 June 1948) is a Burkinabé politician and leader of the Movement for Tolerance and Progress (MTP) party.
Running as the MTP presidential candidate in the 13 November 2005 elections, Kaboré placed last out of 13 candidates, receiving 0.32% of the vote.
Roch Marc Christian Kaboré (born 25 April 1957) is the President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso.
Kabore was born in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. He started in 1962 as a pupil his primary school and obtained his CEP in 1968 (Certificate of Primary School). This certificate permitted him to enter in a high school named College Saint Jean Baptiste de la Salle in the capital. He stayed in this school for seven years. From 1968 to 1975, Roch Marc Christian studyied to get a BEPC in 1972 and his Baccalaureate in 1975 which allowed him to enter university[1].
He attended the University of Dijon in France. There, in 1975 he followed the Economic Science program to get his Bachelor’s degree in 1979. After that he started the university third program cycle to get in 1980 the DESS, the diploma of superior studies in management. The acquirement of his diploma of management gave him the ability to enter in the active life but also drew the end of his studies in France and his return at home[1]. After finishing his studies, he returned to Burkina Faso.
Kabore worked as a banker for the International Bank of Burkina (BIB). He was eventually promoted to the head of the company. In 1984, at 27 years old, he was named the General Director of the BIB, and stayed in this position for five 5years. From 1984 toSeptember 1989, he has directed the bank before going into the political arena[1] [2].
He served in the government of Burkina Faso as a Minister, was a Special Adviser of the President, and has been a deputy in the National Assembly.[1] [2] [3] On June 5, 2002, he was elected for the second time as President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso
He served as
Minister of Transports and Communications
Minister of State
Member of the Parliament Representing of the Kadiogo Region for the ODP/MT (now the CDP Party)
Minister of State Minister of Finance and Plan
Minister of State
Prime Minister
Special Advisor of the President of Burkina Faso
Elected as a member of the National Assembly for the CDP Party
Elected as President of the National Assembly
Elected as the National Secretary of the CDP Party
Re-elected President of the National Assembly
Elected President of the CDP Party
In the May 2007 parliamentary election, Kaboré was re-elected to the National Assembly as the first candidate on the CDP’s national list. Following the election, the National Assembly again elected Kaboré as its President. He received 90 votes, while Norbert Tiendrébéogo received 13; there were seven invalid votes.[4]
Being the President of National Assembly gives him three powers: political, parliament and administrative. Politically, he can replace the President of Burkina Faso in certain cases. Before to nominate the Mediator or dissolve the Parliament, the President of Burkina must consult him. The President of the Parliament has the power to nominate three members of the Conseil Constititionel and to establish and drive the international relationships of the National Assembly. On the administrative side, we can say that he is the administrative chief of the Assembly. He is the one proposing the budget before it goes for the vote. Also by controlling the police of the Parliament, he is responsible of the security inside and outside the Parliament. Considering the parliament powers, he is the Chief of the Parliament Office and the only one directing the discussions. He also orders and presides ordinary and extraordinary sessions. Moreover, he maintains the order, insures the respect of the rules in the Parliament and can stop at any moment a meeting in the Parliament.[5]
The President of the Parliament is helped in his work by his Cabinet. The cabinet is composed of the Cabinet Director who coordinates and transmits to all the agents the directions of the President. The chief of the Staff manages the program, the calendar and plans the activities of the President. The Protocol Office is in charge of the ceremonies, trips and audiences while the Office of Communication and Public Relations supervise the public relations of the Parliament, the audiovisual and all the information and documentation about the National Assembly. The Office of Procurement organizes the Parliament’s official reception and takes care of the Parliament President guests. The Particular Secretary takes care of the confidential mails and files all the fills treated. The Advisors are some specialists that the major role is to help the President of the parliament in specific domains. The President Particular Doctor looks after the health of the Parliament President and his family[6].
Michel Kafando (born August 18, 1942 in Ouagadougou) is the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) for Burkina Faso to the United Nations. He is currently in his second term, and presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 15 April 1998. He has also been his nation’s ambassador to Cuba.
Kafando attained a bachelor’s degree in public law from the University of Bordeaux in 1969, and then a diploma in political studies in 1972 in Paris. He later gained a PhD in Political Science at the Sorbonne in 1990. He is married, and has one child.
Michel Kafando was the Foreign Minister for Upper Volta (as Burkina Faso was then known) from 1982-83. He was also a Vice-President of the General Assembly in 1982. He has headed many delegations to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and is a Vice-President of the African Centre for Environmental Protection (an NGO).
Zakalia Kote is a politician from Burkina Faso. On June 10, 2007, he was appointed Minister of Justice and Keeper of the seals.[1
Lieutenant-Colonel Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana (January 31, 1916 – 26 May 2005) was the second president of Upper Volta (since 1984 renamed Burkina Faso), in power from January 3, 1966 to November 25, 1980. He held the additional position of Prime Minister from February 8, 1974 to July 7, 1978.
After Upper Volta achieved complete independence from the French Union in 1960, opposition parties either merged with the governing party, Union démocratique voltaïque (UDV), or were banned, transforming Upper Volta into a single party state, headed by Maurice Yaméogo as President. Yaméogo's one-party regime elicited much unrest- student strikes and mass demonstrations by students, labor unions, and civil servants. Yaméogo was forced to resign after a general strike on January 3, 1966, giving power to General Sangoulé Lamizana on the demonstrators' demand. Lamizana served as nominal head of a "provisional military government" until a new Constitution, ratified on June 14, 1970, provided for a four-year transition to fully civilian elected leadership; he was also foreign minister from 1966 to 1967. Elections under the new Constitution delivered a clear majority of the assembly to the UDV.
In the early 1970s the effect of a five-year drought and increasing desertification in the Sahel brought the threat of famine to several nations including Upper Volta. The resulting economic dislocation encouraged factionalism in the government, headed by Gérard Ouédraogo, the prime minister who had been appointed by Lamizana. Again military intervention and dissolution of the assembly brought Lamizana back in control, essentially now as dictator. His personal party following was styled the National Movement for Renewal, although that became a short-lived formation. A new Constitution was written and approved in 1977, and Lamizana was reelected in open elections in 1978: this election is generally considered as being among the most democratic ever held in West Africa. Later Lamizana joined UDV.
With the support of unions and civil groups, Col. Saye Zerbo overthrew President Lamizana in a bloodless military coup in November 1980.
Ali Lankoandé is a Burkinabé politician and member of the Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party (PDP/PS).
Running as the PDP/PS presidential candidate in the 13 November 2005 elections, Lankoandé placed 6th out of 13 candidates, receiving 1.74% of the vote
Ablassé Ouedraogo (born June 30, 1953) is a politician and economist from Burkina Faso. Ouedraogo was educated at the University of Nice in France, where he received a doctorate degree in Economics. Ouedraogo worked for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from 1982 to 1994. He served as the foreign minister of Burkina Faso from 1994 to 1999. From 1999 to 2002, Ouedraogo was the Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization. In 2006, he was appointed by the President of the Bank as Regional Adviser for Africa within the African Development Bank.
Gérard Kango Ouedraogo (born 1925) served as Prime Minister of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) from 13 February 1971 to 8 February 1974
Gilbert Noël Ouédrango is a member of the Pan African Parliament from Burkina Faso.
Major Dr.Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo (born June 30, 1942) was President of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) from 8 November 1982 to 4 August 1983, when he was overthrown in a coup d’état which brought Thomas Sankara into power.
He is a medical doctor and currently operates a medical facility (Notre-Dame de la Paix) on the outskirts of Ouagadougou.
Philippe Ouédraogo (born 15 July 1942, Diapaga, Tapoa province) is a Burkinabé politician and the leader of the African Independence Party (PAI). Ouédraogo was Minister of Equipment and Telecommunication in the first government of Thomas Sankara 1983-1984. He then represented the then mass front of PAI, LIPAD. Ouédraogo continued to play an important role even after the break between LIPAD and Sankara, and was named chief engineer of mining.
Running as the Party for Democracy and Socialism (the electoral party of the PAI of Ouédraogo) presidential candidate in the 13 November 2005 elections, Ouédraogo placed 4th out of 13 candidates, receiving 2.28% of the vote.
Ram Ouédraogo (born January 2, 1950, Agboville, Côte d'Ivoire) is a Burkinabé politician and leader of the Rally of the Ecologists of Burkina (RDEB) party.
He ran as candidate of the Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina (UVDB) in presidential elections held on 15 November 1998, placing second behind incumbent Blaise Compaoré with 6.61% of the vote. He later quit the UVDB and founded the RDEB party.
In the 13 November 2005 presidential election, Ouédraogo placed 5th out of 13 candidates, receiving 2.04% of the vote.
Youssouf Ouédraogo (born December 25, 1952[1]) is a politician in Burkina Faso. In 1992 he became the first Prime Minister of Burkina Faso since 1983, serving from June 16, 1992 to March 22, 1994. From January 1999 to June 2007 he was the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP).
Ouédraogo was born in Tikaré, in Bam Province. Under Thomas Sankara, Ouédraogo was appointed to the government as Minister of Planning and Popular Development on August 31, 1984, remaining in that position for three years. Shortly after Sankara was assassinated in October 1987, Ouédraogo became Minister for the Plan and Cooperation under Blaise Compaoré. He left that position on April 25, 1989 and became President of the Economic and Social Council,[2] in which position he served until he was elected to the National Assembly as a deputy from Bam[1][2] in the May 1992 parliamentary election.[1] He was appointed Prime Minister by Compaoré on June 16, 1992.[2] The CFA franc was devaluated in January 1994, and this was followed by controversy.[2][3] Ouédraogo signed an agreement with trade unions to raise salaries on March 12, 1994, but the agreement fell through and Ouédraogo resigned a few days later.[3] He then served as Ambassador to Belgium, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and the European Union[1] before being appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in January 1999.[2][4]
Ouédraogo was elected to the National Assembly again in the 2007 parliamentary election as a candidate of the CDP from Bam Province.[5] In the government of Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, which was appointed on June 10, 2007, he was replaced as Foreign Minister by Djibrill Bassolé.[
Pargui Emile Paré is a Burkinabé politician and member of the People's Movement for Socialism/Federal Party (MPS/FP).
Running as candidate of the Socialist Alliance – a coalition of the MPS/FP and Unified Socialist Party (PSU) - in the 13 November 2005 elections, Paré placed 10th out of 13 candidates, receiving 0.87% of the vote.
Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara (born February 23, 1959) is a Burkinabé politician and the President of the Union for Rebirth/Sankarist Movement (UNIR/MS) party.[1]
Sankara was born in Toéssin.[2] He founded the UNIR/MS in November 2000 and was one of three UNIR/MS candidates elected to the National Assembly in the 2002 parliamentary election. In the National Assembly, he was elected to the Pan-African Parliament. In June 2005 he resigned from both the National Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament to focus on his candidacy in the presidential election later in the year.[1] Running as the UNIR/MS candidate in the election, held on 13 November 2005, Sankara placed second out of 13 candidates, receiving 4.88% of the vote.[1][3]
In the May 2007 parliamentary election, Sankara was elected to the National Assembly. He was one of four UNIR/MS candidates to be elected, and the only one elected on the party’s national list
Thomas Sanon (born 1947) is a former politician and diplomat from Burkina Faso. Sanon served as foreign minister of the country from 1992 to 1994 under Blaise Compaoré. He was preceded by Issa Dominique Konaté and replaced by Ablassé Ouedraogo.
Laurent Gounide Sedego (b. March 15, 1956) is a politician and former military officer from Burkina Faso.[1] On March 24, 2008, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries Resources
Prosper Vokouma is a former politician and diplomat from Burkina Faso. Vokouma was the foreign minister of his country from 1989 – 1992 under Blaise Compaoré
Hermann Yaméogo (born May 17, 1948, Koudougou) is a Burkinabé politician and leader of the National Union for the Defense of Democracy (UNDD).
Although he decided to boycott the 13 November 2005 presidential elections a month prior to the poll, his name remained on the ballot. He placed 11th out of 13 candidates, receiving 0.76% of the vote.
He is the son of Maurice Yaméogo, who was the country’s first president.
Maurice Yaméogo (December 31, 1921-September 9, 1993) was the first President of the Republic of Upper Volta, now called Burkina Faso. He proclaimed the independence of the country on August 5, 1960 and also tried (but failed) to create a union between Cote d’Ivoire and Upper-Volta. On January 3, 1966, he left the Presidency because of a nation-wide syndicalist strike.
Maurice Nawalagmba Yameogo was born on December 31, 1921 in an animist family of farmers at Koudougou. “Nawalagmba”, in Mossi, the most spoken language in Burkina Faso means: “The one coming to unite, to gather the others”. Nawalagmba had a twin sister called Wamanegdo. It is only after his baptism, on July 28, 1929 that he was given the name “Maurice”.[1]
Yaméogo attended the public primary school of his native village
After the primary school of his native village, Maurice Yameogo went to the Small Seminar of Pabre. Pabre is the institution in which most of Upper-Volta priests were trained. However, during his training, the young Maurice lost his sacerdotal vocation and left Pabre.[2
Maurice Yameogo wanted to be a priest but he finally left the Small Seminar of Pabre. Maurice fell in love with Felecite Zagre who later became his wife. But, on October 17, 1965, he would get married with Suzanne de Monaco, a young Ivorian woman. Felix Houphouet-Boigny (President of Ivory Coast) and Hamani Diori (President of Niger) were the witnesses at his marriage. Marie-Therese Houphouet-Boigny took care of the bride. However, this union would not last long and Maurice would get married a third time with Jeannette.[1]Maurice Yameogo had many children
Maurice Yameogo started his professional career just after leaving Pabre. He started as a simple clerk for the French Colonial Administration. For this reason, Maurice worked in Ivory Coast where he was shocked by the fact that some Upper-Volta businessmen were illegally practicing some kind of workforce traffic to supply Ivory Coast huge plantations with workers. In Upper-Volta, Maurice also worked as a clerk for the Administrative, Accounting and Finance Services (SAFC) of the French Colonial Administration. For this purpose, he was appointed in towns like Dedougou and Koudougou. Maurice Yameogo was later appointed head of the CFTC syndicate (French Confederation of Christian Workers) of his corporation, and vice-president of CFTC Upper-Volta.)
Maurice Yameogo started his political career as the general counsellor of Koudougou before reaching, after several steps, the Presidency. This very active political career started when he was elected general counsellor of Koudougou and then territorial counsellor in 1948 with re-elections in 1952. On March 31, 1957, he was elected Grand Counsellor of AOF (French Occidental Africa) on an MDV list (Voltaic Democratic Movement), and two months later, he was appointed minister of the agricultural economy in the first council of government headed by Mr. Yvon Bourges, last French Governor in Upper-Volta (May 18, 1957) that was later replaced by Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly. On February 06, 1958, after a Government change, Maurice Yameogo was appointed Minister of Interior.[2]This was a sign of recognition of Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly because Maurice helped him during difficult political periods and was now part his political party, the UDV (Voltaic Democratic Union), affiliated to RDA.[3] Actually, Maurice Yameogo was now the second in the government because at this time, the Minister of Interior was the one designed to replace the President of the council of Government if this one was away. The “National Fate” of Maurice Yameogo was being clearer from this time.
On December 11, 1959, Maurice Yameogo became the first President of the new Republic of Upper-Volta and proclaimed on August 5, 1960, the independence of the country.[4]Maurice Yameogo obtained this Independence by simple transfer of powers, without negotiation or any referendum. Maurice Yameogo was a close friend of Felix Houphouet-Boigny (President) who inspired him all his life long. Yameogo favored a “Federation of Mali” that would gather Senegal, French Soudan (called Mali today), Dahomey (Benin), and Upper-Volta (Burkina Faso). However, he would finally adopt anti-federalist ideas developed by France and Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Yameogo would follow Houphouet in his ambition to create the “Conseil de l’Entente” (Agreement Council), an organization to promote peace and solidarity between west African countries. Maurice Yameogo and Houphouet Boigny also worked on a project of double nationality between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. However, when Yameogo left the presidency on January 3, 1966, Houphouet Boigny abandoned this project of double nationality.
On December 27, 1965, Maurice Yameogo was in Ivory Coast to negotiate the project of double nationality. Having heard about serious decreases in salaries and budget, Voltaic syndicates drove a nationwide strike. The Upper-Volta Army then decided to seize power and Yameogo resigned the Presidency on January 3, 1966, in order to avoid a civil war.[5]The Army was in control: A military coup had Yameogo to abdicate, suspended the Constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and placed Lt. Col. Sangoulé Lamizana at the head of a government essentially run by senior army officers. The army remained in power for four years, and on June 14, 1970, the Voltans ratified a new Constitution that established a 4-year transition period toward complete civilian rule. Lamizana remained in power throughout the 1970s as president of military or mixed civil-military governments. After a conflict arising over the 1970 Constitution, a new constitution was written and approved in 1977, and Lamizana was reelected by open elections in 1978.[6]
After resigning, Maurice Yameogo was put in jail three days later. His son Hermann Yameogo tried to free him, but failed and was put in jail too. On May 8, 1969, Maurice Yameogo was condemned to five years of forced work and to a life time banishment. However, he was freed on August 5, 1970. Maurice Yameogo also experienced political internment with other politicians during the revolution of 1983.[6]
From 1985 until 1990, Maurice Yameogo was exiled in Ivory Coast, a country with which he always kept good relations.
On May 1991, President Blaise Compaoré rehabilitated Maurice Yaméogo, giving him back his Burkinabé citizenship rights.[1] He would often play the role of “go-between” between the two countries. On September 9, 1993, Maurice Yaméogo died in Ouagadougou. During his funerals that took place in Koudougou on September 17, 1993, Blaise Compaore and his wife Chantal Compaoré were there, with other personalities. Among them were Alassane Ouattara (Prime Minister of Ivory Coast) and Laurent Dona Fologo (Secretary general of PDCI-RDA).[1]
Salvador Yaméogo is a politician who held the position of Minister of Transportation and Tourism in the government of Burkina Faso.[1]
Oubkiri Mark Yao is a member of the Pan-African Parliament from Burkina Faso. He is also Premier vice président de l’Assemblée Nationale in Burkina Faso, and former Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Ghana and Denmark
Larba Yarga is a member of the Pan-African Parliament from Burkina Faso
Alain Bédouma Yoda (born 31 December 1951[1]) is a Burkinabé politician who has been Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation since September 2008. He was previously Minister of Transport and Tourism from 1997 to 2000, Minister of Trade from 2000 to 2002, and Minister of Health from 2002 to 2008.
Yoda was born in Komtoèga, and after studying in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and France, he joined the civil service in 1978. From 1978 to 1985 he held various positions at the Ministry of Trade, becoming Technical Adviser to the Minister of Trade in May 1985. He was then Economic and Financial Adviser to the President of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, from October 1985 to 1987. Yoda was first elected to the National Assembly of Burkina Faso in the May 1992 parliamentary election, and he served as President of the Commission of Finance and the Plan in the National Assembly from 1996 to 1997; he was re-elected to the National Assembly in the May 1997 parliamentary election. He was appointed to the government as Minister of Transport and Tourism in June 1997,[1] and on 12 November 2000 he was moved to the position of Minister of Trade and the Promotion of Business and Crafts.[2] Yoda was again elected to the National Assembly in the May 2002 parliamentary election,[1] and following that election he was appointed as Minister of Health[1][3][4] on 10 June 2002.[3][4]
Yoda was elected to the National Assembly from Boulgou Province as a candidate of the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) in the May 2007 parliamentary election.[5] He was promoted in ministerial rank after the election, becoming Minister of State for Health on 10 June 2007.[6] Yoda was later moved to the post of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation in the government named on 3 September 2008, replacing Djibril Bassolé.[7]
Céline Yoda (born April 6, 1958) is a Burkinabé politician; she currently serves as the Minister for the Promotion of Women, in which capacity she has served since June 10, 2007.
Yoda received her diploma from the École Normale Supérieure d’Enseignement Technique et Professionnel in Dakar, where she studied social and familial economics. Before serving in public office, she spent a long career working for non-governmental organizations nd some government groups. She was the first female secretary general of SPONG (the Secrétariat Permanent des ONG, Burkina Faso’s organization of NGO’s); she served in this position for two terms. She also worked for a time for the United Nations in Burkina Faso as a national expert on “population creation and development”. From 1997 until 2000 she was the secretary general for the Ministry for the Promotion of Women; in 2000 she was named her country’s ambassador to Denmark, remaining in Copenhagen until being called home to serve in the government of Tertius Zongo
Paramanga Ernest Yonli, also known as Ernest Paramanga Yonli (born December 31, 1956[1]), was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso from November 7, 2000[2] to June 11, 2007.[3] Since January 2008, Yonli has been the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United States.[4] He is a member of the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) party.[1]
Yonli was born in Tansarga in Tapoa Province.[1][5] He attended secondary school in Ouagadougou, and from 1976 to 1979 he studied economics at the University of Ouagadougou. After graduating from that university, he attended the University of Benin in Lomé, Togo, obtaining a master’s degree in economics, specializing in planning and development, in 1981. He then continued his studies in France, attending the Sorbonne; he obtained a diploma in international economy and development in 1984 and a doctorate in agricultural development in 1985. Subsequently he worked as a researcher on agricultural development and food security, based in Ouagadougou.[5] He obtained his PhD degree at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Groningen in February 1997 with a thesis entitled: « Stratégies paysannes en matière de sécurité alimentaire et commercialisation céréalière – le rôle des banques de céréales dans le Nord du Plateau Central du Burkina Faso » (agricultural strategies in the field of food security and the commercialisation of cereal production – the role of cereal banks in the North of the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso).
He was Director of the Prime Minister’s Office from February 1996[2][5] to September 1996, under Prime Minister Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo.[2] He then served as Minister of the Civil Service and Institutional Development[5][6] before being appointed as Prime Minister by President Blaise Compaoré on November 7, 2000, replacing Ouedraogo. His government, named on November 12, included 36 members, with seven opposition parties participating; three of these parties—the African Independence Party, the African Convention for Democracy, and the Panafrican Sankarist Convention—had already participated in Ouedraogo’s government, while four were new to the government, including the Alliance for Democracy and Federation–African Democratic Rally (ADF-RDA).[2]
Yonli was elected to the National Assembly from Tapoa Province as a CDP candidate in the May 2007 parliamentary election.[1] Following the election, he submitted his government’s resignation to Compaoré on June 3, 2007, and Tertius Zongo was appointed as his successor the next day.[7][8] Zongo succeeded Yonli on June 11.[3]
After leaving office as Prime Minister, Yonli was appointed as Ambassador to the United States on December 5, 2007.[4] He presented his credentials to US President George W. Bush on January 22, 2008.[4][9]
Youssouf Sambo Bâ (b. May 10, 1942 in Boborgou, Niger) is a Burkinabé politician and retired teacher. He is the president of the Party for Democracy and Socialism.[1][2]
Bâ was headmaster of Collège d’Enseignement Général in Bobo-Dioulasso 1974-1977.[3]
On January 7, 1983 Bâ was named Cabinet Director of the Ministry of National Education, Arts and Culture, by the then ruling CSP junta
Marlène Habata Zebango is an African politician who was Minister for Youth and Sports in the government of Burkina Faso between 1991 and 1993.[1]
Colonel Saye Zerbo (born August 27, 1932) was a President of Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) from November 25, 1980 to November 7, 1982. He led a coup in 1980, but was resisted by trade unions and was overthrown by Maj. Dr.Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo and the Council of Popular Salvation (CSP).
Zerbo comes from Tougan in Sourou Province in the western part of the country. He went to school in Mali and Saint-Louis, Senegal. Then he joined the French military and attended the military academy Saint-Cyr. As a paratrooper, Zerbo took part in both the First Indochina War as well as the Algerian War of Independence. After the Upper Volta’s independence from France in 1960, he switched into that country’s army in 1961.
In the military government of Sangoulé Lamizana, who ruled Upper Volta from 1966, Saye Zerbo was foreign minister from 1974 to 1976. He also held the positions of commander of the regiment in the capital Ouagadougou and director of the military intelligence agency.
On November 25, 1980, Zerbo staged a coup against President Lamizana, who had been re-elected democratically in 1978, and took on the positions of head of state and government. The constitution, which had been introduced in 1977, was suspended and the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress (Comité Militaire de Redressement pour le Progrès National; CMPRN) established. The trade unions in the country opposed his seizure of power, although they had supported Zerbo for a long time, and on November 7, 1982, Saye Zerbo was deposed in another coup d’état. He was succeeded by Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo as the head of the Council of Popular Salvation (Conseil du Salut du Peuple; CSP).
After being deposed, Zerbo was also incarcerated. On August 4, 1983, Ouédraogo was deposed by Thomas Sankara. In May 1984, Zerbo and Lamizana were put on trial for various crimes. Zerbo was indicted to 15 years in prison. During his imprisonment, Zerbo converted from Islam to Christianity. He was released from jail in August 1985. After Blaise Compaoré had deposed Sankara he sought Zerbo’s advice. His conviction from 1984 was annulled on February 18, 1997 by the supreme court of Burkina Faso.
Zerbo’s third daughter Araba Kadiatou Zerbo is married to the former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso Paramanga Ernest Yonli.
Tertius Zongo (born 18 May 1957[1]) has been the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso since June 2007.
Zongo was born in Koudougou.[1] He has an extensive background in economics and accounting. He became Deputy Minister for Budget and Planning, under the Minister of the Economy, Finances, and Planning, in June 1995. In February 1996 he became Government Spokesman in addition to his role as Deputy Minister,[1][2] and he remained Government Spokesman until November 2000.[1] His portfolio was changed to that of Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Development, under the Prime Minister, in September 1996; he was subsequently appointed as Minister of Economy and Finance in June 1997.[1][2] He remained in the latter position until November 2000.[1] On February 14, 2002 he became Ambassador to the United States,[1][2][3] serving in that post until he was named Prime Minister in June 2007.
Zongo also served as governor for Burkina Faso to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank and the Islamic Bank of Development. In 1992, he worked as director general of Cooperation at the Ministry of Finances and Planning and as chief of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation from 1988 to 1992. He has also been a professor of accounting, business economy and financial analysis at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. Zongo holds a master’s degree in economic sciences from the Institute of Enterprises Administration in France.
Following the May 2007 parliamentary election, Zongo was appointed Prime Minister by President Blaise Compaore on June 4, 2007.[4][5] His government, composed of 34 members, was appointed on June 10;[6][7] its 34 members (excluding Zongo himself) included two ministers of state, 26 ministers, and six minister-delegates.[7] Zongo took office as Prime Minister on June 11.[8]
Alain Dominique Zoubga (born 1953 in Poa) is a medical doctor and politician in Burkina Faso. He was appointed minister of health by Blaise Compaoré following the 1987 coup d’état and served until 1989. Dr. Zougba currently leads the Party for Democracy and Progress / Socialist Party (PDP-PS).
Captain Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara (December 21, 1949 – October 15, 1987) was the leader of Burkina Faso (formerly known as Upper Volta) from 1983 to 1987. He came to power in a coup masterminded by Blaise Compaoré. While noted for his personal charisma and praised for promoting health and women’s rights, he also antagonised many vested interests in the country.[2] He was overthrown and assassinated in a coup d’état led by Compaoré on October 15, 1987, sometimes believed to have been at the instruction of France
Thomas Sankara was the son of Marguerite Sankara (died March 6, 2000) and Sambo Joseph Sankara (1919 – August 4, 2006), a gendarme.[3] Born into a Roman Catholic family, “Thom’Sank” was a Silmi-Mossi, an ethnic group that originated with marriage between Mossi men and women of the pastoralist Fulani people. The Silmi-Mossi are among the least advantaged in the Mossi caste system. He attended primary school in Gaoua and high school in Bobo-Dioulasso, the country’s second city.
His father fought in the French army during World War II and was detained by the Nazis. Sankara’s family wanted him to become a Catholic priest. According to some sources,[4] he never lost his Catholic faith despite his Marxist tendencies. Fittingly for a country with a large Muslim population, he was also familiar with the Qur’an.
After basic military training in secondary school in 1966, Sankara began his military career at the age of 19, and a year later he was sent to Madagascar for officer training at Antsirabe where he witnessed popular uprisings in 1971 and 1972. Returning to Upper Volta in 1972, in 1974 he fought in a border war between Upper Volta and Mali.
He became a popular figure in the capital of Ouagadougou. The fact that he was a decent guitarist (he played in a band named “Tout-à-Coup Jazz”) and liked motorbikes may have contributed to his charisma.
In 1976 he became commander of the Commando Training Centre in Pô. In the same year he met Blaise Compaoré in Morocco. During the presidency of Colonel Saye Zerbo a group of young officers formed a secret organisation “Communist Officers’ Group” (Regroupement des officiers communistes, or ROC) the best-known members being Henri Zongo, Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, Compaoré and Sankara.
Sankara was appointed Secretary of State for Information in the military government in September 1981, journeying to his first cabinet meeting on a bicycle, but he resigned on April 21, 1982 in opposition to what he saw as the regime’s anti-labour drift, declaring “Misfortune to those who gag the people!” (“Malheur à ceux qui baillonnent le peuple!”)
After another coup (November 7, 1982) brought to power Major-Doctor Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, Sankara became prime minister in January 1983, but he was dismissed (May 17) and placed under house arrest after a visit by the French president’s son and African affairs adviser Jean-Christophe Mitterrand. Henri Zongo and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani were also placed under arrest; this caused a popular uprising.
A coup d’état organised by Blaise Compaoré made Sankara President on August 4, 1983,[5] at the age of 33. The coup d’état was supported by Libya which was, at the time, on the verge of war with France in Chad[6] (see History of Chad).
Sankara saw himself as a revolutionary and was inspired by the examples of Cuba and Ghana’s military leader, Flight Lt. Jerry Rawlings. As President, he promoted the “Democratic and Popular Revolution” (Révolution démocratique et populaire, or RDP).
The ideology of the Revolution was defined by Sankara as anti-imperialist in a speech of October 2, 1983, the Discours d’orientation politique (DOP), written by his close associate Valère Somé. His policy was oriented toward fighting corruption, promoting reforestation, averting famine, and making education and health real priorities.
The government suppressed many of the powers held by tribal chiefs such as their right to receive tribute payment and obligatory labour. The CDRs (Comités de Défense de la Révolution), were formed as popular mass organizations and armed. In some areas they deteriorated into gangs of armed thugs. Sankara’s government also initiated a form of military conscription with the SERNAPO (Service National et Populaire). Both were a counterweight to the power of the army.
In 1984, on the first anniversary of his accession, he renamed the country Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of upright people” in Mossi and Djula, the two major languages of the country. He also gave it a new flag and wrote a new national anthem (Une Seule Nuit).
Sankara’s government included a large number of women. Improving women’s status was one of Sankara’s explicit goals, an unprecedented policy priority in West Africa. His government banned female genital cutting, condemned polygamy, and promoted contraception. The Burkinabé government was also the first[citation needed] African government to publicly recognize that AIDS is a major threat to Africa.
Sankara had some original initiatives that contributed to his popularity and brought some attention from the international press on the Burkinabé revolution:
- He sold most of the government fleet of Mercedes cars and made the Renault 5 (the cheapest car sold in Burkina Faso at that time) the official service car of the ministers;
- He formed an all-women motorcycle personal guard.
- In Ouagadougou Sankara converted the army’s provisioning store into a state-owned supermarket open to everyone (the first supermarket in the country).
In 1985 Burkina Faso organised a general population census. During the census some Fula camps in Mali were visited by mistake by Burkinabé census agents. The Malian government claimed that it was an act of sovereignty on the Agacher strip and on Christmas Day 1985, tensions with Mali erupted in a war that lasted five days and killed about 100 people (most victims were civilians killed by a bomb dropped on the marketplace in Ouahigouya by a Malian MiG plane). The conflict is known as the “Christmas war” in Burkina Faso.
On October 15, 1987 Sankara was killed with twelve other officials in a coup d’état organised by his former colleague, Compaoré. Deterioration in relations with neighbouring countries was one of the reasons given by Compaoré for his action. Prince Johnson, a former Liberian warlord allied to Charles Taylor told Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that it was engineered by Charles Taylor.[7] After the coup and although Sankara was known to be dead, some CDRs mounted an armed resistance to the army for several days.
Sankara was quickly buried in an unmarked grave. A week prior to his death Sankara addressed people and said that “while revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.”
kenneth uwadi