We’re standing in front of the Thomas Sankara Memorial, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital. Inaugurated on May 17 in the presence of various African heads of state and public figures, the site symbolizes a collective desire to preserve the legacy of the Burkinabé pan-Africanist leader Thomas Sankara and his 12 comrades who were assassinated in the 1987 coup d’état.
The massacre, orchestrated by Sankara’s then-ally Blaise Compaoré – who became president and ruled until 2014 with support from France – interrupted a wave of transformative reforms meant to eliminate the scars of neocolonialism in the Sahel nation.
In just four years, Sankara redistributed land to peasants and raised the literacy rate from 13% in 1983 to 73% in 1987. His radical transformation also extended to public health: 2.5 million children were vaccinated against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles.
At the entrance of the memorial, built on the very site where the revolutionary leader was executed, and where he had renamed the country from the colonial “Upper Volta” to “Burkina Faso”, the “Land of Upright People”. A retired man helps others lay stones on the sidewalk.
He is Valentin Sankara, Thomas Sankara’s younger brother. But when welcoming BdF, he offers his gratitude to another captain, the man responsible for inaugurating the space he now works on.
“This is incredible. It brought us relief. We are happy. We know the captain thought of all those who fell on October 15 to make this happen. It’s truly a joy for us, and for all the families of the deceased”, he shares.
Ibrahim Traoré and the legacy of the 1983 revolution
The captain Valentin refers to is Burkina Faso’s current head of state, Ibrahim Traoré, the most prominent figure of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a political bloc formed by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. Traoré leads a movement to break ties with Western powers, especially France.
On September 30, 2022, amid widespread insecurity and public disillusionment with French military operations against fundamentalist militias in the Sahel, Traoré, then 34, led an uprising that ousted military leader Paul-Henri Damiba and emerged as a new symbol of sovereignty.
Backed by mass popular support, Traoré’s government expelled French troops from Burkina Faso within months and scrapped long-standing military and economic agreements with Paris and foreign corporations from the former colonial power.
The connection to the country’s revolutionary past is unmistakable. As in the 1980s, Traoré has re-nationalized gold reserves, Burkina Faso is the world’s fourth-largest gold producer, and is implementing measures to break from the French-backed CFA franc. He has launched an ambitious plan for industrialization and agricultural expansion. Over the last two years, portraits and iconic quotes from Thomas Sankara have accompanied Traoré’s speeches and public appearances.
Valentin Sankara sees today’s Burkina Faso as a continuation of the Democratic and Popular Revolution (RDP) initiated by his brother on August 4, 1983.
“Absolutely. You can see the work being done throughout Burkina Faso today. That shows he [Traoré] is sincere. It’s not about promises, it’s real, concrete. There’s construction everywhere, we’re laying bricks, cobblestones, we couldn’t ask for more. If you can make it happen and prove it, people will support you without hesitation. That’s how it works. Today, people are ready to contribute to the country’s development. It’s visible. It’s not made up. It’s real”, Valentin says.
An economy on the rise
World Bank data published in mid-July shows Burkina Faso’s economy grew from 3% in 2023 to 4.9% in 2024. Improved security across multiple regions and a strong push for food self-sufficiency are among the key drivers of the increase, according to the institution.
According to the Bank, more than 700,000 people escaped extreme poverty in the past 12 months alone. “All the work we’re doing is a contribution from the Burkinabé people as a whole”, Valentin summarizes.
On August 4, President Traoré praised the popular spirit of Sankara’s revolutionary project. According to the current leader, the “people’s will” that built “a proud, free, and sovereign nation” is now being revived through the Progressive Popular Revolution (PPR), launched in April 2025 and modeled after the 1983 revolution.
“Committed and determined, just like our brave ancestors, we will defeat imperialism so that Burkina Faso can prosper”, wrote Traoré on social media, celebrating the 42nd anniversary of the revolution.
Sankara’s revolutionary roots
“He was sincere. He was exceptional. He hated injustice, even with us, his brothers and sisters. And I think that’s what led him to power. He couldn’t stand how Africans were being treated”, Valentin recalls.
Looking ahead, Valentin calls on the country to fully reclaim its sovereignty, in harmony with the revolutionary ideals implemented by his brother.
With the famous phrase, “He who feeds you, controls you”, Thomas Sankara urged African nations to reject foreign debt and was the first African head of state to sever ties with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). During his time in office, he reduced his own salary and owned only one car, four bicycles, guitars, a fridge, and a freezer.
“He came to power for all Burkinabés, not just for his family. The proof is that we’re here”, says Valentin.
And he concludes: “Few people understood what the revolution really was, or what he wanted to do. Only later did they grasp the voice he gave to the country. That’s why so many Burkinabés today stand alongside Captain Ibrahim Traoré.”
