Comrades Thomas Sankara and Fidel Castro. Castro is Awarding Sankara the Order of Jose Marti, 1984
The great revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara was murdered in a coup on October 15, 1987.
Sankara became the first president of Burkina Faso in 1983. His administration initiated a radical, anti-imperialist and anti-IMF program that included nationalizations, infrastructure building, promoting education and advancing the rights of women.
After 4 years in power he was assassinated during a military coup. Tragically, despite their popularity, many of his reforms were undone.
“Imperialism is a system of exploitation that occurs not only in the brutal form of those who come with guns to conquer territory. Imperialism often occurs in more subtle forms, a loan, food aid, blackmail . We are fighting this system that allows a handful of men on earth to rule all of humanity."
"Comrades, there is no true social revolution without the liberation of women. May my eyes never see and my feet never take me to a society where half the people are held in silence. I hear the roar of women’s silence. I sense the rumble of their storm and feel the fury of their revolt." -Thomas Sankara
Some of Sankara's killers may finally face justice as they are to go on trial on October 25.