Last Thursday, the West African country of Burkina Faso, which remains one of the 25 poorest countries in the world, celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence from France. Known as the Republic of Upper Volta for the first 24 years of its independence, the country was renamed Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of upright people” on 4th August 1984 by the revolutionary president Thomas Sankara.
The fighter pilot and military captain Thomas Sankara seized power in a popularly-supported coup in 1983, and proceeded to launch a very ambitious Marxist program for economic and social change. He replaced the government limousines with simple cars and redistributed land from the wealthy to the peasants. He improved the status of women and created extensive environmental and health initiatives. He was anti-imperialist and refused foreign help.
However, Sankara was executed in 1987 in another coup, and the country’s rapid economic growth was over. The current president Blaise Compaoré is more notable for his ruthless ability to stay in power than for anything significant he has achieved. The unemployment rate is almost 70%, and almost 20% of the population is forced to seek work in a neighbouring country.