Who was Thomas Sankara and why was Blaise Compaoré sentenced to life imprisonment 35 years after his assassination? A Neusroom Explainer
On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, the people of Burkina Faso celebrated the verdict of the court sentencing former president, Blaise Compaoré, to life imprisonment for the killing of Thomas Sankara, his predecessor and long-term friend.
Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso from August 1983 until his assassination in October 1987.
Born in December 1949, Sankara began his military career at the age of 19. He became Prime Minister in January 1983 but he was dismissed after four months for pushing progressive reforms.
He was arrested after his dismissal, a move that was unpopular among younger officers.
This led to a coup led by Sankara’s friend, Blaise Compaoré paving way for Sankara to become president, aged 33 in August 1983.
One year after he became president, Sankara changed the name of the country from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso. He also wrote the country’s new national anthem that is in use today.
He was a revolutionary leader who rejected foreign aid and focused on internal development.
His policies led to growth in agriculture, improvement in the health sector and the building of a national rail network.
He reduced government spending and embraced marxism and pan-Africanism.
In October 1987, he was assassinated alongside 12 government officials by an armed group spearheaded by his former colleague, Blaise Compaoré.
Compaoré became president in 1987. He won reelection in 1991, 1998, 2005 and 2010 amid controversies.
He was eventually forced out of government in 2014 after the Burkina Faso uprising and fled to Côte d’Ivoire.
In April 2021, he was charged by a military tribunal in Burkina Faso with the murder of Sankara in absentia. He was found guilty in April 2022 and was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia.
