Thomas Sankara was reburied in Ouagadougou by the military junta on Thursday 24 February. He was buried alongside 12 of his comrades who were assassinated with him. The burial was against the wishes of his widow and children.
They wanted him reburied at a site that would “appease hearts” and not the crime scene where he was assassinated in 1987. Sankara’s widow and children boycotted the reburial ceremony.
Sankara was regarded as a pan-Africanist who spoke against neo-colonialism and believed in the total emancipation of women.
As a revolutionary leader, he achieved some successes including food self-reliance, reforestation, advances in healthcare and infrastructural achievements. His critics say his tenure was marked by human rights abuses and state repression.
Sankara was born in 1949 and became president of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987.
Burkina Faso: Thomas Sankara reburied in Ouagadougou
