Thomas Sankara _ The Pan-Africanist.

Thomas Sankara was a man with a vision. He dreamed of a better future for his people, the Burkinabe. Born in 1949 in Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Sankara grew up amidst poverty and political turmoil. His experiences shaped his worldview and set him on the path to becoming a revolutionary leader.

Sankara's first taste of politics came when he joined the military. He was quickly recognized for his sharp mind and charismatic personality, and rose through the ranks to become a captain. However, he was disgusted by the corruption and incompetence of the ruling regime, and he began to speak out against it.

In 1983, Sankara led a group of young officers in a coup d'etat that overthrew the government. He became the head of state of a country that was one of the poorest and most unstable in the world. Many people were skeptical of his ability to govern, but Sankara was determined to prove them wrong.

He immediately set about implementing radical reforms. He nationalized the land and mines, redistributed wealth to the poorest, and launched a massive tree-planting campaign to fight desertification. He called on the people to rise up and take control of their own lives, to reject the influence of foreign powers and the IMF.

Sankara was a dynamic and inspirational leader. He dressed in a simple military jacket and rode a bicycle around the capital city, eschewing the lavish lifestyle of his predecessors. He spoke directly to the people, urging them to embrace their own culture and to reject the legacy of colonialism.

However, Sankara's critics were powerful and well-connected. He faced constant opposition and sabotage from within and outside Burkina Faso. In 1987, he was assassinated in a coup led by his former friend and colleague Blaise Compaore.

Today, Thomas Sankara is remembered as a hero and a visionary. His ideas inspired a generation of African youth, and his legacy lives on. Though his life was cut short, his impact on the world will never be forgotten.

HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

– He vaccinated 2.5 million children against meningitis, yellow fever and measles in a matter of weeks.

– He initiated a nation-wide literacy campaign, increasing the literacy rate from 13% in 1983 to 73% in 1987.

– He planted over 10 million trees to prevent desertification.

– He built roads and a railway to tie the nation together, without foreign aid.

– He appointed females to high governmental positions, encouraged them to work, recruited them into the military, and granted pregnancy leave during education.

– He outlawed female genital mutilation, forced marriages and polygamy in support of Women’s rights.

– He sold off the government fleet of Mercedes cars and made the Renault 5 (the cheapest car sold in Burkina Faso at that time) the official service car of the ministers.

– He reduced the salaries of all public servants, including his own, and forbade the use of government chauffeurs and 1st class airline tickets.

– He redistributed land from the feudal landlords and gave it directly to the peasants. Wheat production rose in three years from 1700 kg per hectare to 3800 kg per hectare, making the country food self-sufficient.

– He opposed foreign aid, saying that “he who feeds you, controls you.”

– He spoke in forums like the Organization of African Unity against continued neo-colonialist penetration of Africa through Western trade and finance. • He called for a united front of African nations to repudiate their foreign debt. He argued that the poor and exploited did not have an obligation to repay money to the rich and exploiting.

– In Ouagadougou, Sankara converted the army’s provisioning store into a state-owned supermarket open to everyone (the first supermarket in the country).

– He forced civil servants to pay one month’s salary to public projects.

– He refused to use the air conditioning in his office on the grounds that such luxury was not available to anyone but a handful of Burkinabes.

– As President, he lowered his salary to $450 a month and limited his possessions to a car, four bikes, three guitars, a fridge and a broken freezer.

– A motorcyclist himself, he formed an all-women motorcycle personal guard.

– He required public servants to wear a traditional tunic, woven from Burkinabe cotton and sewn by Burkinabe craftsmen. (The reason being to rely upon local industry and identity rather than foreign industry and identity)

– When asked why he didn’t want his portrait hung in public places, as was the norm for other African leaders, Sankara replied “There are seven million Thomas Sankaras.”

– An accomplished guitarist, he wrote the new national anthem himself.

Truly, Sankara is, was and will forever be remembered for his selfless leadership.