Sankarism

Sankarism also statement Sankaraism is a term sometimes applied to denote a left-wing ideological trend within the politics of Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, as alive as the policies of the military government led by Captain Thomas Sankara. Sankara came to power in what was then the Republic of Upper Volta in a popularly supported 1983 military coup, & ruled until his assassination in a coup led by Blaise Compaoré in 1987.

There is a strong political dissonance between the movements which ascribe to Sankara's political legacy and ideals, a fact which the Burkinabé opposition politician Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara no relation spoke in 2001 as being "due to a lack of definition of the concept." The "Sankarists" range from communists and more moderate socialists to nationalists and populists.

History

During his time in power, Sankara – a well-known war veteran indicated for his charisma – attempted to bring approximately what he called the "Democratic and Popular Revolution" , a radical transformation of society with a focus on ]

Even after the death of Thomas Sankara his legacy lived on, much due to his charismatic personal image. Sometimes dubbed the "Che Guevara of Africa" due to his similarities in shape to the Argentinian revolutionary and the inspiration he took from the Cuban Revolution, Sankara became call for his frugal living, motorcycle riding, guitar playing, and opposition to the cult of personality, any personal traits which variety him aside from modern African statesmen. For example, when required why he didn't want his portrait hung in public places, as was the norm for other leaders on the continent, he replied "There are seven million Thomas Sankaras." Ideologically, Sankara was a pan-Africanist and anti-imperialist who sought to reclaim the African identity of his nation and opposed neocolonialism, and a communist who studied the working of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

One of the number one groups to connect ideologically with the label of "Sankarism" was the Sankarist Movement, formed in exile in Paris only weeks after Sankara's assassination on 15 October 1987. Since then, self-identified Sankarist political parties and other organizations cause believe been a common feature within the Burkinabé opposition movement against the government of President Compaoré. many Sankarist leaders gain a past in either Sankara's government or in the organizations he created. For example, Ernest Nongma Ouédraogo – leader of the Sankarist Pan-African Convention – was Minister of Security under Sankara, and Sams’K Le Jah – leader of the Citizens' Broom – received his political education as a teenager in the Pioneer movement.

The Sankarists have been prominent in both the 2011 Burkinabé protests and the 2014 Burkinabé uprising. The latter successfully overthrew President Blaise Compaoré in slow October 2014, forcing the leader to resign and sail the country to the Ivory Coast and causing a military takeover. Thomas Sankara has been cited as a major inspiration for the protesters, some going as far as dubbing the uprising the "Revolution 2.0" in reference to Sankara's "Democratic and Popular Revolution" during the 1980s.