Burkina faso history, west african history, books barnes. Sep 17, 2015 hello and welcome to the telegraphs live coverage of burkino faso and its coup. The article recounts the recent political history of the upper. A military coup in burkina faso led by a veteran of us. He was indeed a disciplined and true africa leader whose focus was on burkina faso, his home country. Burkina faso coup leader handed over to government. Burkina faso officially the republic of burkina faso is a landlocked country in west africa. Until the end of the 19th century, the history of burkina faso was dominated by the empirebuilding mossi, who are believed to have come from central or eastern africa sometime in the 11th century.
Burkina faso has had an extremely unstable history since its independence and multiple coups have been staged. Burkina faso will be a reminder that coups or military intrusion can no longer be tolerated in west africa. The coup was apparently led by allies of the countrys longtime ruler. How the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup. Algeria in the north, guinea and ivory coast in the south, and burkina faso and niger in the east. Burkina faso a history of power, protest and revolution. Thomas sankara simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Conflict trends in africa marshall page 2 of 7 coups detat in africa, 19462004 country month day year success leaders deaths chad 3 31 1977 2 sublt. Burkina fasos constitution of 1991 with amendments through 2012. The 2016 burkinabe coup detat attempt was an attempt to overthrow the government of burkina faso on 8 october 2016. Nov 17, 2017 the people of burkina faso have decided to take control of their destiny, mr kabore said. The answer lies in part in the way coups tend to be defined. The 2015 burkinabe coup detat was launched on 16 september 2015 in burkina faso, when members of the regiment of presidential security rsp a controversial autonomous military unit, formed under president blaise compaore detained the countrys government. Belgian economist pierre engleberts book, burkina faso. Burkinabe also migrated to ghana, mali, and senegal for work between the world wars. The economist explains why burkina faso has so many. History of burkina faso including independence from 1960.
Harschs insightful and lively account offers keen insights into the political history of a fascinatingyet unfortunately understudiedcountry. Burkina faso attracts migrants from cote divoire, ghana, and mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the burkinabe. Most people living in the countrys urban areas are multilingual, while the rural population uses their native languages for common activities. The bbcs lamine konkobo looks at the issues behind the coup in burkina faso, where members of the presidential guard overthrew the interim government before handing back power. History of islammodern periodburkina faso wikibooks, open. In the years after independence in 1960, following the dissolution of french west africa, upper volta goes through many abrupt changes including five military coups in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987 and a change in the nations name, in 1984, to burkina faso. Sep 18, 2015 interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup. This commentary traces recent regime change and political transition in burkina faso. Burkina fasos interim government, led by president michel kafando, has been reinstated after a brief coup carried out by a group of military guards, the presidential security regiment rsp.
Burkina faso finds itself at the heart of the current sahelian crisis, while simultaneously navigating its own revolutionary democratic transition. This article analyses recent political developments in burkina. Sep 25, 2015 how the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup. After mass demonstrations blaise compaore was forced to resign his presidency on 31 october 2014. Sankaras roman catholic parents wanted him to be a priest. Their tools, including scrapers, chisels and arrowheads, were discovered in 1973 through archaeological excavations. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
He was a genuine and dynamic leader who came to power on a continent thats mostly known for kleptocrats and entrenched dictators. Experts generally consider a coup successful if it has lasted at least a week. Sankara and compaore established the national revolutionary committee with sankara as president, and he. The country was once ruled by france, but it has been independent since 1960. The seizure of power by burkina fasos presidential. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. In 1984 the revolutionary government changed the name of the country to burkina faso, its flag, and its national anthem.
Thomas sankaras revolutionary legacy lives on december 9, 2009 by demba moussa dembele thomas sankara, the revolutionary leader of the west african nation burkina faso from 1983 to 1987, was killed in the belief that it could extinguish the example he set for african youth and progressive. Ouagadougou, burkina faso the burkina faso military crushed the last remnants of a failed coup on tuesday, storming the barracks of the elite unit that staged the coup. Just 11 months later, in october 2016, a coup plot by forces loyal to mr compaore was foiled by. Dienderes illfated effort to seize power in burkina faso in september 2014. A history of power by ernest harsch hana sandhu says this book is a gripping account of the countrys radical history of political struggle. Sep 30, 2015 ouagadougou, burkina faso the burkina faso military crushed the last remnants of a failed coup on tuesday, storming the barracks of the elite unit that staged the coup days earlier the. Hello and welcome to the telegraphs live coverage of burkino faso and its coup. Interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup the. Sep 26, 2015 burkina faso s interim government, led by president michel kafando, has been reinstated after a brief coup carried out by a group of military guards, the presidential security regiment rsp. The colony of upper volta was established in 1919, but it was dismembered and. Sep 24, 2015 a coup in burkina faso threatened to pull the country further into political crisis, with leading ministers detained, violent clashes on the streets of the capital, and a wideeyed general. The military in burkina faso has taken to the airwaves to declare it.
Conscious of our responsibilities and of our duties before history and before humanity. Faso, particularly the failed coup detat in september 2015. Unlike the previous coups in the upper volta, this work argues that the. Mossi is the most widely spoken language of burkina faso, as it is spoken by nearly 40% of the countrys population. The current president is blaise compaore, who came to power in 1987 after a coup detat that killed thomas sankara. Thomas sankara and the revolutionary birth of burkina faso. The military in burkina faso has taken to the airwaves to declare it now controls the country, confirming that a. At least 30 exmembers of the elite presidential guard known as the rsp planned an attack on three locations. The 1987 burkinabe coup detat was a bloody military coup in burkina faso, which took place on 15 october 1987. Sankara set ambitious goals to reduce poverty in burkina faso and championed.
Particular attention is paid to the revolutionary years 198387 under thomas sankara, whom the author interviewed several times, and the burkinabe uprising in 2014 that deposed blaise compaore. Burkina faso military puts down last holdouts from coup. The shortlived coup in burkina faso may be one of the quickest in the history of african military coups. Rakotomalala and nadia karoui for global voices online, part of the guardian africa network. Thomas sankara and the revolutionary birth of burkina faso mamadou diallo february 1, 2018. From upper volta to burkina faso, is the study of the politics of reaction and reform in a postcolonial nationstate of burkina faso. As a reporter with 30 years of experience working in the region, ernest harschs burkina faso. Interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup. So, if you are still trying to make sense of what happened, how it unfolded, and whats next, weve got you covered. A chronology of key events in the history of burkina faso, from 1919 to the present. Seven lessons from burkina fasos sevenday coup bbc news. The event was organized as part of the annual havana international book fair. A history of power, protest, and revolution by ernest harsch is a comprehensive history of burkina faso.
Blaise compaore, resulted in a military coup detat on 4 august 1983. The history of burkina faso includes the history of various kingdoms within the country, such as. The first military coup occurred in 1966, but then succumbed to another coup in 1978. Surrounded by mali, the cote divoire, niger, togo, ghana and benin in western subsaharan africa, the tiny nation of burkina faso is completely landlocked and with a. Burkina fasos national parks include po in the southcentre of the country, arly in the southeast, and w in the east, straddling the border with benin and niger. A countercoup was launched in 1983, which brought the charismatic captain thomas sankara to leadership.
Burkina faso simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The history of burkina faso includes the history of various kingdoms within the country, such as the mossi kingdoms, as well as the later french colonisation of the territory and its independence as the republic of upper volta in 1960. In october 2014, huge protests across burkina faso succeeded in overthrowing the longentrenched regime of their authoritarian ruler, blaise compaore. Burkina faso s national parks include po in the southcentre of the country, arly in the southeast, and w in the east, straddling the border with benin and niger. The northwestern part of presentday burkina faso was populated by huntergatherers from 14000 bc to 5000 bc. Under french colonization, burkina faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in cote divoire. From upper volta to burkina faso usf scholar commons. The coup was organized by captain blaise compaore against incumbent farleft president captain thomas sankara, his former friend and associate during the 1983 upheaval.
Burkina fasos constitution of 1991 with amendments. Also speaking on the panel were manuel agramonte, cubas ambassador to burkina faso during the four years of the revolutionary government led by thomas sankara. In burkina faso, all eyes on how postcoup leaders handle. The major ethnolinguistic group of burkina faso is the mossi. American spy by lauren wilkinson, the parachute drop by norbert zongo, of water and the spirit.
Defying all expectations, this popular movement went on to defeat an attempted coup by the old regime, making it possible for a transitional government to organize free and fair elections the. President blaise compaore, the longtime ruler of burkina faso, gave up power on friday following a wave of violent protests that had overthrown his. The chronology of military coup detats and regimes in burkina faso. Guinea and ivory coast in the south, and burkina faso and niger in the east. The president of burkina faso has resigned the atlantic. The people of burkina faso have decided to take control of their destiny, mr kabore said. For centuries, the mossi peasant was both farmer and soldier, and the mossi people were able to defend their. Best described as africas che guevara, thomas sankara, of blessed memory, was a burkinabe military captain, marxist revolutionary, panafricanist and president of burkina faso whose leadership regime began in 1983 ended in 1987. A history of power, protest and revolution, ernest harsch is published by zed books. Thomas sankara, military officer and proponent of panafricanism who was installed as president of upper volta later burkina faso in 1983 after a military coup. History until the end of the 19th century, the history of burkina faso was dominated by the empirebuilding mossi. How the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup world.
Burkina faso, formerly known as upper volta, was a french. History of islammodern periodburkina faso wikibooks. Just before he was killed sankara referred to the dop as a major landmark in the history of burkina faso, if not the world. More language of the mossi tribe phrase book burkina faso is a former.
For those who are familiar with it, the life of thomas sankara has a certain shakespearean quality. Military, coup detat, regime, burkina faso, africa. Jeanbaptiste ouedraogo 20 burkina faso 8 4 1983 1 capt. Thomas sankara bio, spouse, children, cause of death. Thomas sankara president of burkina faso britannica. Oct 31, 2014 president blaise compaore, the longtime ruler of burkina faso, gave up power on friday following a wave of violent protests that had overthrown his government. The life and death of thomas sankara philosophy of shaving. In 1987, blaise compaore became president and, after an alleged 1989 coup. Political party labor union ivory coast major ethnic group military coup. It used to be called upper volta and the name was changed to burkina faso in 1984.