![]() ![]() In 1987, fierce clashes broke out between regime loyalists and rebels at Ouagadougou's presidential palace on what came to be known as "Black Thursday." Sankara's takeover of power led to the birth of the National Revolutionary Council, which promised democratic and social reforms, as well as an anti-imperialist foreign policy.įollowing the coup, the colonial-era name "Upper Volta" was changed to "Burkina Faso," which in the country's indigenous language means "Land of honest people." He eventually ceded the presidency to military commander Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo, who had little political experience.Īccused by critics of "serving the interests of foreign domination and neo-colonialism," Ouedraogo became increasingly isolated within the newly-formed Council for the Salvation of the People (CSP).įormer Prime Minister Thomas Sankara, who had played a key role in the events of 1982, staged a deadly coup a year later against Ouedraogo's military government, which left 13 people dead. Differences led to a military coup by which Thomas Sankara rose to power. ![]() In 1982, divisions within the military committee split the body into two camps. Saye Zerbo to overthrow Lamizana and declare himself president.Īt the time, the coup was internationally hailed as a "model for democracy" in the region after the adoption of the "Constitution of the Second Republic." On November 25, 1980, the forces of the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress deployed forces to Ouagadougou, setting the stage for Col. In 1980, a severe drought took a devastating toll on Burkina Faso's agricultural sector.Īt the same time, a teachers' strike that spilled over to many other labor sectors to protest corruption nearly paralyzed the state. The military took over power, declaring former army chief-of-staff Sangoulé Lamizana as the new head of state. Unable to contain mounting popular discontent, Yaméogo resigned on January 4, 1966. Yaméogo declared a state of emergency amid a general workers' strike. ![]() On August 5, 1960, Burkina Faso – then called Upper Volta – gained independence from France under the leadership of then-president Maurice Yaméogo.įive years later, Yaméogo had consolidated his grip on power by entrenching a single-party ruling system and repressing the opposition.īy January 1966, a popular revolt had broken out on the heels of an unpopular financial austerity plan approved by Yaméogo. Friday's military coup in Burkina Faso after the resignation of president Blaise Compaoré, prompted by massive street protests, is only the latest chapter in a decades-long pattern of coups since the West African nation won independence from France in 1960. ![]()
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