Tuesday 15 October 2013

Thomas Sankara: "A Symbol Of Change Across The Continent”

Exactly 26 years ago today, Burkinabe President, Capt. Thomas Isidore Noel Sankara was murdered in the Presidential palace at Ouagadougou by assassins working directly or indirectly for his deputy and friend, Blaise Compaore, who still rules the country today.

Before Sankara was despatched to an early grave, aged just 37, he was a well loved and popular revolutionary leader across the African continent and beyond.


A BBC reporter’s account of Thomas Sankara’s visit to Abuja, Nigeria provides some evidence: (As heard on BBC Witness)

“He was the most important success with the less important people in Nigeria.
And when he left, he went to the airport at Abuja, and as he was leaving, he turned on the steps of the plane and raised both arms in a salute to the crowd.
And there was the most tremendous cheer!
Even the policemen and soldiers on duty at the airport were cheering. Now, that didn’t go down terribly well in Nigerian official circles.
What he really was trying to do was to appeal to ordinary people in the rest of West Africa, over the heads of their leaders.”

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