What can I say about this once President of the former Upper Volta Region now known as Burkina Faso? I watched a documentary last night and all I can say is I was moved, disgusted, proud and angry all at the same time!
Captain Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987. He became leader through a coup d'etat masterminded by his good friend Blaise Compaore. Prior to this he led several posts in the former military government. Once as Secretary of state for Information (1981 - 1982) from which he resigned declaring "Misfortune to those who gag the people", and again in January 1983 as Prime Minister under the power of Major-Doctor Jean Baptiste Ouedraogo. He was dismissed from this post and placed under house arrest after a visit by the French president's son and African affairs adviser Jean Cristophe Mitterand.
After the said coup d'etat there were a lot of changes in Burkina Faso. Sankara saw himself as a revolutionary, and promoted the Democratic and Popular Revolution. This revolution was defined by Sankara as anti-imperialist. His policies included to fight against corruption, promote reforestation, avert famine, and make education and health real priorities. Under Sankara, priviledges given to local chiefs such as their right to receive tribute payment and obligatory labour, were abolished. Ridiculous priviledges given to government officials were scraped and everyone of them had to revert from Mercedes cars to the Renault 5 as their means of transportation. In Ougadougou, Sankara converted the army's store, into a state owned supermarket open to all.
He was the first and dare I say ONLY African president to truly acknowledge women and enlighten them to their God given equal rights. His government included a large number of women, banned female genital cutting, condemmed polygamy, and promoted contraception. His government was the first to recognise that AIDS is a major threat to Africa.
On October 15, 1987 Sankara was killed with twelve othe officials in yet another coup d'etat organised by his former colleague Compaore, rumoured to be on the order of the French. Deterioration in relations with neighbouring countries was one of the reasons given by Compaore for his action. Shamefully, Sankara was buried in a hurry, in an unmarked grave. A week prior to his death Sankara addresses people and said that "while revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas."
I was horrified to watch that. I don't know when Africans will stop being so selfish as to want to enrich themselves alone whilst excluding the rest of their people, especially when they have taken a position of power. Here was a man who was all for the enrichment and self sustainance of Africa, but his so called friend who I believe because of greed and jealousy, danced to the tune of the colonialists and betrayed his people. I don't believe the Burkinabe government under Sankara was perfect, but it was a move in the right direction. I watched as little children took pride in marches and parades; as women stayed at home on Womens' Day, whilst their men did the grocery shopping. I watched his speeches promoting African self reliance and the need for African countries to stop taking loans from the 'Developed' World, thus eliminating the need for Africa to dance to the tune of the West. Yes, he was strict and people were either for his government or against his government, with no in betweens, but if the system worked for the betterment of his people was that such a bad idea? I don't think so!
Africans are sell outs to their distant brothers, sisters and children and it's a pity. They are greedy and selfish. That is why they agreed to sell their people into slavery. And for what? Covetous, Evil Scoundrels, with whatever promises we are yet to see. Their rewards await them in their next life. I could go on and on about this dear subject which means a lot to me because I am an African woman (Nigerian to be precise), who is angry, sad, and silently grieving over the demise of Mother Africa. Lord knows I don't want to talk about what I feel about Nigerian leaders and their greed, corruption, and theft from their citizens. At least not in this instance.
I really hope God can overlook whatever wrongs this great man called Thomas Sankara may have committed in his life, or at least rewarded in death for the great things he achieved in his short life. May his soul rest in peace.
PS. God bless all those who have ever fought and are fighting against the injustices of the world, whatever their race.
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