This article analyses recent political developments in burkina. Faso, particularly the failed coup detat in september 2015. A history of power by ernest harsch hana sandhu says this book is a gripping account of the countrys radical history of political struggle. The current president is blaise compaore, who came to power in 1987 after a coup detat that killed thomas sankara. How the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup. Sep 18, 2015 interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup. A history of power, protest and revolution, ernest harsch is published by zed books. Thomas sankara and the revolutionary birth of burkina faso. Burkina fasos constitution of 1991 with amendments. The major ethnolinguistic group of burkina faso is the mossi. After mass demonstrations blaise compaore was forced to resign his presidency on 31 october 2014. 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 colony of upper volta was established in 1919, but it was dismembered and.
Thomas sankara president of burkina faso britannica. Experts generally consider a coup successful if it has lasted at least a week. He was indeed a disciplined and true africa leader whose focus was on burkina faso, his home country. The seizure of power by burkina fasos presidential.
Sep 25, 2015 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. Burkina faso military puts down last holdouts from coup. The answer lies in part in the way coups tend to be defined. 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.
In 1987, blaise compaore became president and, after an alleged 1989 coup. The history of burkina faso includes the history of various kingdoms within the country, such as. Algeria in the north, guinea and ivory coast in the south, and burkina faso and niger in the east. 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. 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. Belgian economist pierre engleberts book, burkina faso. A military coup in burkina faso led by a veteran of us. 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. How the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup world. Burkina faso simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Nov 17, 2017 the people of burkina faso have decided to take control of their destiny, mr kabore said. History until the end of the 19th century, the history of burkina faso was dominated by the empirebuilding mossi. History of burkina faso including independence from 1960. 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.
The life and death of thomas sankara philosophy of shaving. Burkina fasos constitution of 1991 with amendments through 2012. Sankaras roman catholic parents wanted him to be a priest. History of islammodern periodburkina faso wikibooks, open. The country was once ruled by france, but it has been independent since 1960. Thomas sankara simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The coup was organized by captain blaise compaore against incumbent farleft president captain thomas sankara, his former friend and associate during the 1983 upheaval. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. So, if you are still trying to make sense of what happened, how it unfolded, and whats next, weve got you covered. Sep 25, 2015 how the people of burkina faso foiled a military coup. By mathieu bonkoungou and nadoun coulibaly ouagadougou reuters the leader of a shortlived coup in burkina faso, general gilbert diendere, was handed over to.
The french arrived and claimed the area in 1896, but mossi resistance ended only with the capture of their capital ouagadougou in 1901. Burkina faso will be a reminder that coups or military intrusion can no longer be tolerated in west africa. Military, coup detat, regime, burkina faso, africa. History of islammodern periodburkina faso wikibooks.
Thomas sankara bio, spouse, children, cause of death. 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. 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. Thomas sankara and the revolutionary birth of burkina faso mamadou diallo february 1, 2018. Dienderes illfated effort to seize power in burkina faso in september 2014. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license.
The event was organized as part of the annual havana international book fair. 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. The people of burkina faso have decided to take control of their destiny, mr kabore said. The northwestern part of presentday burkina faso was populated by huntergatherers from 14000 bc to 5000 bc. Mossi is the most widely spoken language of burkina faso, as it is spoken by nearly 40% of the countrys population. Burkina faso officially the republic of burkina faso is a landlocked country in west africa. Since its independence from france on 5 august 1960 to 15 october 1987, burkina faso, the land of the upright people, has experience five changes in government. Their tools, including scrapers, chisels and arrowheads, were discovered in 1973 through archaeological excavations. Burkina faso, formerly known as upper volta, was a french.
The shortlived coup in burkina faso may be one of the quickest in the history of african military coups. For centuries, the mossi peasant was both farmer and soldier, and the mossi people were able to defend their. 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. The chronology of military coup detats and regimes in burkina faso. Rakotomalala and nadia karoui for global voices online, part of the guardian africa network.
Unlike the previous coups in the upper volta, this work argues that the. In october 2014, huge protests across burkina faso succeeded in overthrowing the longentrenched regime of their authoritarian ruler, blaise compaore. Just before he was killed sankara referred to the dop as a major landmark in the history of burkina faso, if not the world. In burkina faso, all eyes on how postcoup leaders handle. 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.
Just 11 months later, in october 2016, a coup plot by forces loyal to mr compaore was foiled by. The first military coup occurred in 1966, but then succumbed to another coup in 1978. A countercoup was launched in 1983, which brought the charismatic captain thomas sankara to leadership. Under french colonization, burkina faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in cote divoire. 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. It used to be called upper volta and the name was changed to burkina faso in 1984. At least 30 exmembers of the elite presidential guard known as the rsp planned an attack on three locations. As a reporter with 30 years of experience working in the region, ernest harschs burkina faso. Political party labor union ivory coast major ethnic group military coup.
Blaise compaore, resulted in a military coup detat on 4 august 1983. The military in burkina faso has taken to the airwaves to declare it. From upper volta to burkina faso usf scholar commons. From upper volta to burkina faso, is the study of the politics of reaction and reform in a postcolonial nationstate of burkina faso. Interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup. Burkina faso attracts migrants from cote divoire, ghana, and mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the burkinabe. Interim leader challenges burkina faso military coup the. Hello and welcome to the telegraphs live coverage of burkino faso and its coup. 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. President blaise compaore, the longtime ruler of burkina faso, gave up power on friday following a wave of violent protests that had overthrown his. More language of the mossi tribe phrase book burkina faso is a former.
The coup was apparently led by allies of the countrys longtime ruler. Most people living in the countrys urban areas are multilingual, while the rural population uses their native languages for common activities. The president of burkina faso has resigned the atlantic. A history of power, protest, and revolution by ernest harsch is a comprehensive history of burkina faso. For those who are familiar with it, the life of thomas sankara has a certain shakespearean quality.
The article recounts the recent political history of the upper. The 2016 burkinabe coup detat attempt was an attempt to overthrow the government of burkina faso on 8 october 2016. The military in burkina faso has taken to the airwaves to declare it now controls the country, confirming that a. 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. The economist explains why burkina faso has so many. He held that position until 1987, when he was killed during another coup.
Conscious of our responsibilities and of our duties before history and before humanity. 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. 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. American spy by lauren wilkinson, the parachute drop by norbert zongo, of water and the spirit. 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. Sankara and compaore established the national revolutionary committee with sankara as president, and he. This commentary traces recent regime change and political transition in burkina faso. Jeanbaptiste ouedraogo 20 burkina faso 8 4 1983 1 capt. The capital is ouagadougou in 2005, about,228,000 people lived in the country. Burkina faso has had an extremely unstable history since its independence and multiple coups have been staged. Burkinabe also migrated to ghana, mali, and senegal for work between the world wars.
Harschs insightful and lively account offers keen insights into the political history of a fascinatingyet unfortunately understudiedcountry. He was a genuine and dynamic leader who came to power on a continent thats mostly known for kleptocrats and entrenched dictators. In 1984 the revolutionary government changed the name of the country to burkina faso, its flag, and its national anthem. Burkina faso coup leader handed over to government. 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. Burkina faso finds itself at the heart of the current sahelian crisis, while simultaneously navigating its own revolutionary democratic transition. Burkina faso a history of power, protest and revolution.
Burkina faso history, west african history, books barnes. 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. 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. Seven lessons from burkina fasos sevenday coup bbc news. 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. 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.