The government of Burkina Faso has ordered the exhumation of the body of Sankara for formal identification. Thomas Sankara, the former president of Burkina Faso was killed in a coup in 1987, which is believed to have been led by his successor, Blaise Compaore
When Sankara died, his body was dismembered and buried in an unknown grave. His wife and children later fled to another country seeking refuge.
Sankara is praised to have been an iconic leader who fought for the less fortunate in the society. He lowered his salary to 450 dollars and owned a few possessions. He also sold off the government fleet of Mercedes cars and made the Renault 5 which is currently used by the official ministers in Burkina Faso.
In 1984 during his first anniversary of his accession, he renamed the country Burkina faso; meaning the land of the upright. He also gave Burkina Faso a new flag and wrote the new national anthem.
In 1984, on the first anniversary of his accession, he renamed the country Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of upright people” in Moré and Djula, the two major languages of the country. He also gave it a new flag and wrote a new national anthem.
Sankara became president in 1938, ruled his country for four years and and died at the age of 37 in 1987.
“The revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or because of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the triumph of the revolution. Women hold up the other half of the sky .”- Thomas Sankara.
