Sankara Lives On

Burkina Faso's pan-African president and hero, Thomas Sankara, was assassinated on this day in 1987 in the capital, Ouagadougou.  A hit squad also killed 12 of his comrades. Sankara was one of Africa's most outstanding leaders.

He came to power in a coup in 1983, and his pro-people policies endeared him to the nation. He understood that Africa's problems resulted from systemic issues such as debt. In his four years in power, he did a lot for Burkina Faso. For example, his land-reform policies gave rural farmers greater access to territory, which in turn boosted wheat production; while his drive to vaccinate two-million children against meningitis, measles and yellow fever saved many lives.

We remember his life and legacy, but we also raise questions about his death: why are the CIA and France still refusing to de-classify some of their records relating to Sankara’s demise?