The Thomas Sankara Revolution “Feb 1984 Tribute payments to and obligatory labour for the traditional village chiefs are outlawed. 4 Aug 1984 All land and mineral wealth are nationalized. The country’s name is changed from the colonial Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, words from two different local languages meaning ‘Land of the Incorruptible’. 22 Sept 1984 A day of solidarity: men are encouraged to go to market and prepare meals to experience for themselves the conditions faced by women. Oct 1984 The rural poll tax is abolished. Nov 1984 ‘Vaccination Commando’. In 15 days 2.5 million children are immunized against meningitis, yellow fever and measles. 3 Dec 1984 Top civil servants and military officers are required to give one month’s pay and other civil servants to give half a month to help fund social development projects. 31 Dec 1984 All domestic rents are suspended for 1985 and a massive public housing construction program begins. 1 Jan 1985 Launch of a campaign to plant 10 million trees to slow the Sahara’s advance. 4 Aug 1985 An all-women parade marks the anniversary of the Revolution. 10 Sep 1985 The mounting hostility of the region’s conservative regimes is revealed at a meeting in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire. Feb-Apr 1986 ‘Alpha Commando’. A literacy campaign in nine indigenous languages involves 35,000 people. End of 1986 A UN-assisted program brings river blindness under control. 15 Oct 1987 Sankara is assassinated in a coup d’état along with 12 aides. His body is unceremoniously dumped in a makeshift grave which quickly becomes a shrine as for days thousands of people file past it to pay their respects. Popular feeling forces the new regime to give Sankara a decent grave.”
Posted on: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:31:52 +0000
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