Thomas Sankara: An African Revolutionary

by Ernest Harsch

Thomas Sankara, often called the African Che Guevara, was president of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in Africa, until his assassination during the military coup that brought down his government. Although his tenure in office was relatively short, Sankara left an indelible mark on his country’s history and development. An avowed Marxist, he outspokenly asserted his country’s independence from France and other Western powers while at the same time seeking to build a genuine pan-African unity. Ernest Harsch traces Sankara’s life from his student days to his recruitment into the military, early political awakening, and increasing dismay with his country’s extreme poverty and political corruption. As he rose to higher leadership positions, he used those offices to mobilize people for change and to counter the influence of the old, corrupt elites. Sankara and his colleagues initiated economic and social policies that shifted away from dependence on foreign aid and toward a greater use of the country’s own resources to build schools, health clinics, and public works. Although Sankara’s sweeping vision and practical reforms won him admirers both in Burkina Faso and across Africa, a combination of domestic opposition groups and factions within his own government and the army finally led to his assassination in 1987. This is the first English-language book to tell the story of Sankara’s life and struggles, drawing on the author’s extensive firsthand research and reporting on Burkina Faso, including interviews with the late leader. Decades after his death, Sankara remains an inspiration to young people throughout Africa for his integrity, idealism, and dedication to independence and self-determination.

Genres: History, Biography, Africa, Nonfiction, Politics, Burkina Faso, Race

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2014

Reviews

[Elliard Shimaala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote this review before I finished reading this book because I was inspired by what this man, known as the African Che, stood for. Thomas Sankara inspired because;

1. I am an African and Africa is all I know and love. However, what we Africans have done to Africa is depressing.

2. My conviction that the current status of Africa in the world is not right and needs to be changed. All this suffering and poverty we see on this great continent will only end the day we as Africans decide to end it. As such, we should stop expecting others to clean up this mess we have created for ourselves.

Many African leaders, including some legendary ones, are full of nothing but hot air. They talk more and rarely do anything to improve the lives of the African electorate. In fact, many of our leaders have a tendency of running back to our oppressors (former colonial masters) singing songs of praise while reminding us how our survival is impossible without their hand-outs. It puzzles me why this trend has continued despite our claim of independence. Are we really independent? Whenever I reflect on the state of Africa, I am overcome with grief because our beloved continent should not be ravaged by disease, poverty, war and the most painful of all - illiteracy.

While many Africans have been brainwashed into thinking they are incapacitated, Thomas Sankara BELIEVED in Burkina Faso or should I say “land of the upright people”. He believed the Burkinabè had to depend on themselves to change their circumstances. Thomas Sankara would often say, “We don’t wait for anything from anyone. No one will come to develop Burkina Faso in place of its own people”. One only utters such words if he believes that people, Africans in this case, have the capacity within them to achieve whatever they desire. Sadly, Africans have been systematically taught to depend on others. To establish “trade relationships” were others gain more from us by determining the prices of the goods we produce. Even our intelligence is determined by how well we can speak and write the language of our former colonial masters. It should therefore not be a surprise that in the 21st century Africa finds herself in an unpalatable situation of desperation and dependency.

Thomas Sankara meant well for his people but those who could not flourish in a system of honesty and integrity took his life away. Africans should be worried about this perpetual tendency of ‘outsiders’ influencing us to eliminate our African leaders who stand for truth and justice (a phenomenon that our brothers and sisters in Latin America are all too familiar with). Truth is Thomas! Truth is Malcolm X! Truth is Fidel! Truth is Che Guevara and truth looks a lot like Lumumba! Men who could not accept injustice against their people.

As you can see, the affairs of Africa affect me immensely. From this book, I learnt that once an African leader sought to build a corrupt free nation which its people could be proud of. However, he never lived long enough to realise this dream. I can only imagine how Burkina Faso would have been had this man achieved his goals without any interference. Maybe his country would have been a model of what a progressive African society should be. Alas, he was taken away too soon.

If we can, let us aspire to be like Thomas Sankara - a man that proved that public office is for service, that a united people can do anything, that women have a place in this world, that we need to take care of our environment, that corruption should never have a place in our hearts, that African businesses can only grow if Africans buy from them and above all, that we should never allow injustice to prevail.

Long live the memory of Thomas Sankara!

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing so-called biography of a seemingly fascinating figure. I think perhaps history books just shouldn’t be this short—the actual text is just 145 pages, and they’re small pages; this is a book that fits in my back pocket—because they so often bleed out all the human interest and all the analysis, leaving the reader with a textbook-like recitation of facts.

Though this book purports to be a biography of Thomas Sankara (young, Marxist-leaning military president of Burkina Faso from 1983-87; crusader against corruption; proponent of human development, true independence from former colonial powers, and pan-Africanism), there is almost no personal information about him in it. The focus is on his policies. And it’s organized topically rather than chronologically. So after a very brief overview of Sankara’s childhood and early career, we get successive chapters about governmental structure, infrastructure projects, human development, and foreign policy, with all the information about the actually quite severe problems and abuses during Sankara’s regime stuffed into one chapter at the end, in which the coup that killed him is also very briefly recounted. That feels like some sleight of hand (the author takes an extremely favorable view of Sankara overall, but he doesn’t own it and defend his views; he acts as if he’s being neutral). But it’s also just not engaging to read. As with most textbooks, the language is clear but it’s near impossible to get caught up in or care about.

That said, I’m glad to have finally found a book about Burkina Faso, and it’s fascinating material even if this author doesn’t do it justice. Perhaps more suitable for a classroom setting (which may well be what it’s intended for) than for those seeking popular history.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Sankara was in the news this past week as his accused assassins were put on trial 34 after his death in Burkina Faso. This concise biography provides a good overview of his life, political intentions and achievements. It leaves one wondering what Burkina Faso would be today if he had ruled for longer. Recommend as an introduction to the life of this interesting man.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice, short, succinct introduction to a towering figure in the history of Africa. The author's writing is easy for everyone to understand so it is easily digestible. Can't wait to lend it to all my friends!

[Martyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there a person who more throughly embodies the spirit of African revolutionary fervour than Thomas Sankara? This pocket biography offers a fantastic, invaluable, oversight into Sankara’s legacy. A man who carried an entire nation on his back, and brought tangible improvements to the lives of millions of Burkinabés. Yet, eventually, lost his life to the elements of the revolution who were corrupted by the very evils they initially overthrew.

I am moved, inspired, and heartbroken by his story. If we had more leaders like him…

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in Cicero Magazine
http://ciceromagazine.com/reviews/the...

In Thomas Sankara: An African Revolutionary, Ernest Harsch provides a biography of an African leader who must be understood if one is to understand West Africa and radical left-wing politics across the continent. Thomas Sankara, “Africa’s Che Guevara,” ruled Burkina Faso after seizing power in a 1983 coup with the help of Blaise Compaoré and was president until he was killed in 1987 in a coup which was also backed by Compaoré who went on to rule Burkina Faso until overthrown in a 2014 coup. However, the real story of Burkina Faso, as this book points out, is Sankara – a man who quite literally left his mark on the country as it was Sankara who changed the name of this nation from “Upper Volta” to “Burkina Faso.”

The book is short, clear and concise and at just 152 pages it is a quick read. The author’s portrait of Sankara is sympathetic, which the author concedes in the opening of the book –

“I knew Sankara. I spoke with him directly on half a dozen occasions, a couple of times at length. I was also able to observe him giving public addresses and in other interactions while I was covering developments in Burkina Faso as a journalist. This limited familiarity has led me to highlight certain aspects of his personality and style. It may as well introduce some subjective bias.”

This book is useful for scholars as one of the few English language books on Thomas Sankara’s life. Harsch’s sources are his own writings on Sankara and numerous press clippings on Sankara’s rule; there are few critical sources in the book and this also lends itself to a romantic view of Sankara. Indeed, a romantic view of Sankara is de rigeur among those who see him as Africa’s Che Guevara – an image Sankara himself sought to cultivate. Sankara died a year younger than Che Guevara and shared his same panache for wearing berets. Despite his romantic image, we cannot ignore the fact that Sankara was a military dictator who imposed authoritarian one party rule on his country.

Harsch notes that the area was of what was to become Burkina Faso was not considered “pacified” by the French until 1916 and it was only in 1919 that the French formalized the borders of “Upper Volta.” It was a region that was to remain an afterthought of the French Empire and beyond.

A military career for Sankara, according to Harsch’s telling, was probably pre-ordained

Sankara was born in on the 21st December 1949 and his family was part of the minority Mossi Silim ethic group. His father converted to Catholicism from Islam while serving in the French Army during World War II. There is little in Sankara’s early life as presented in Harsch’s book that is worth comparing to other revolutionaries of the 20th century. There is no hint in the book of the father-son clash that we find in the lives of Mao and Castro (both Sankara and his father were soldiers), nor was there a revolutionary older sibling as in the lives of Lenin and Trotsky. If anything, Sankara played this role in the lives of his younger siblings who remain active in Bukinabe politics to this day. There is one odd parallel in his biography with that of Josef Stalin. As with Stalin, he explored becoming a priest and almost joined the seminary. When Sankara passed an interest exam for the 6th grade, his father told the Catholic priests he would not be joining the seminary after all. They responded that the elder Sankara had not prayed hard enough for his son. As such, a military career for Sankara, according to Harsch’s telling, was probably pre-ordained.

Soon after finishing school, Sankara enlisted in the military and took part in a military exchange program that allowed him to spend time in Madagascar (where he briefly met the “Red Admiral” Ratsiraka) before returning to Upper Volta at the age of 24. In 1974, he made a name for himself, according to Harsch, by leading a successful small-unit action during a brief border war with Mali. As a result, Sankara was able to appeal directly to Upper Volta’s President Sangoulé Lamizana (himself an upstart Lieutenant Colonel) to improve the conditions faced by soldiers under his command in the years immediately following the war. Sankara spent much of this period in command of various military academies. In this respect, his career overlaps with Spain’s Franco who also used his role as commander of a training academy to further his political aspirations.

Upper Volta was no stranger to coups, with the country’s first coup having occurred in 1966. Sankara was involved in coups that swept the country in 1980, 1981 and again in 1983. However, once in power in 1983, Sankara sought a clean break with the past. The 1983 coup marked one of the last Marxist-inspired revolutions anywhere in the world prior to the end of Cold War. Harsch tells us that Sankara took inspiration from numerous sources and was enamoured with revolutionary leaders including Mozambique’s Samora Machel, Grenada’s Maurice Bishop and, above all, Fidel Castro. He writes –



“Sankara readily acknowledged his appreciation of the Russian, Chinese, and Cuban revolutions. During visits to his office it was easy to spot volumes by Marx and Engels on his bookshelves and a bust of Lenin on his desk. Sankara read widely, including the Bible and Koran and writings by many non-Marxist revolutionaries and other progressive thinkers.”

In other regimes, an ambitious officer like Blaise Compaoré would have been made ambassador in some distant locale. For strongman regimes, every idol soldier is a potential threat

Harsch notes that after seeing Madagascar’s Green Berets in action (a military organization involved in public works projects), Sankara sought to emulate this model in Burkina Faso, with the military as an instrument of social revolution. “Military bases around the country started farms to grow food and raise livestock, engaged in tree planting to combat deforestation, cleaned up trash from towns and villages, dug wells, and built schools, health clinics, roads, and other facilities.” He abruptly ended the U.S. Peace Corps program in the country as their work conflicted with his new vision for the military and partly in a beau geste toward Cold War politics. This move probably hurt the people of his country more than it helped, but, as noted, Harsch has a tendency to downplay the negative aspects of Sankara’s rule.

Reading between the lines, it is clear Sankara did not handle his military responsibly. In other regimes, an ambitious officer like Blaise Compaoré would have been made ambassador in some distant locale. For strongman regimes, every idol soldier is a potential threat. In Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka, the military was everywhere even years after LTTE Tiger threat had been eliminated. Not far from the memorably named town of Panama, I encountered a soldier guarding a lonely beach, not in any guide book. The beaches only feature was a long abandoned Norwegian fish-farm which was sinking into the sand. The soldier had no radio, but was well armed.

Conversely, Sankara, according to Harsch, thought it was “criminal to spend money on arms” and the results showed in the next war with Mali. Since the 1974 war, the Burkinabe press had kept an anti-Malian line and Sankara exacerbated the crisis by expelling a Malian diplomat. In response to this and other tensions, the Malians launched an attack on Christmas Day 1985. Multiple border posts and guard stations in the disputed Agacher Strip were attacked. The 9,000 strong Burkinabe military were completely off guard at the start of the “Christmas War.” A few days later, an unopposed Malian air-strike on Ouahigouya exposed just how defenseless Burkina Faso was. Over a hundred Burkinabe people were killed when the guns fell silent on the 30th December. Sovereignty over Agacher Strip issue was subsequently resolved by the International Court of Justice which divided the land between the two claimants equally.

Harsch does not discuss the long-term impact of the war, but perhaps discontent over the mistreatment of the army and their embarrassment in the war with Mali contributed to the anti-Sankara coup less than two years later. Soldiers on the orders of Compaoré attacked a building where Sankara was holding court with other revolutionaries and Sankara was shot and killed.

Harsch points out that Sankara’s death was felt across Africa, yet he does not sufficiently note the continued impact of Sankara’s legacy elsewhere in Africa. Rarely has a radical figure from Francophone Africa had such an impact on Anglophone Africa. The Economic Freedom Fighters, a populist left-wing opposition political party in South Africa, claim to be Sankarist. Didier Awadi, a Senegalese hip hop artist, also claims to be Sankarist. In 2013, I visited M23-controlled areas of the Eastern Congo. Many of the armed cadres I met with were from a cadre class named after Sankara. M23, like Paul Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front, are noteworthy for encouraging soldiers, civilians and public servants to spend a day doing small projects around the community. I observed M23 cadres repairing roads and clearing rubbish – activities that Sankara would have approved of.

Sankara has had a mixed legacy elsewhere. Harsch notes that “Sankara became the first head of state to visit areas of Western Sahara under the control of the Polisario Front.” This move to internationalize the issue of the Western Sahara succeeded in having Morocco ejected from the African Union. It is arguable if having Morocco, one Africa’s most dynamic economies, outside the African Union has helped or hindered peace efforts. Perhaps if he had lived longer, Sankara would have renounced Marxism like Ahmed Sekou Toure and Jerry Rawlings in neighbouring countries. Or Perhaps not. One detail that Harsch left out is that, like Che Guevara, Sankara enjoyed riding motorcycles.

[Moe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The world does not have leaders like him anymore, a man who cares about his people and did everything in his power to get rid of corruption, give peasants jobs, and improve literacy rate. A lot of world leaders today are "owned" by foreign entities, not this man by any stretch.

It's why I am beginning to think a leader with socialist leanings is good for a country. Unfortunately, the media would like you to think otherwise -- spewing Venezuela as an example and and how people there are starving and their economy is in ruins. Of course, he had made enemies with France and neighboring countries like Ivory Coast, and Campoare is a traitor to his nation.

I give it a 3/5 because it's not really chronological so it's difficult to figure out what happened unless you jot down notes on the side, nonetheless, a great read.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Sankara was the Marxist revolutionary who became the leader of Upper Volta in the 1980's which was renamed Burkino Faso during his presidency, a presidency that lasted but a few years before his toppling and death in a violent coup d'etat. This short-ish book is a gentle look at his life, his politics and his efforts to improve his country. It's very, very pro Sankara and presents him as a very Mandela-esque figure. Though it mentions them, it does tend to skirt around the negative issues of a Cuban style populist workers "democracy", so I'm thinking it is not a balanced presentation. It is though an interesting insight into the politics of Burkino Faso and some of the other major countries of West Africa that lie on it's borders.

[Fatou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read about Sankara in various articles, seen documentary footage, heard people speaking about him over the 2 decades of coming to Burkina Faso, but I still found this to be a brilliant short and concise description of his life and work. Sad to realized that most of what he set out to do has still to be accomplished in Burkina and a lot has been destroyed since his murder.

[Mayowa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit short. But a decent summary.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, easy to read introduction on Thomas Sankara.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short concise booklet about the life, accomplishments and legacy of Sankara.
One of the few works that’s available in english that provides a remarkable overview of the life of Sankara. It’s based on extensive research within Burkina Faso and more importantly, it’s quite accessible even if you do not know much about Burkina Faso, Sankara or the ideas he put out that still influence many African youths.

[Isabel Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

too topical to be a flushed out chronology, too emotionless to be a biography, too curt to be a comprehensive study, and too partial to be fully accurate

still, this is the first book i have ever read on burkinabe history and it was an interesting analogue for today’s sweeping economic and social issues across the country

[Ryan Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Is it possible to forget you? A hero never dies. We are all Sankara.”

This is a solid, brief, easily-read survey of the life and influence of Sankara. I can highly recommend it for students of revolution, liberation, and abolition everywhere.

[Miguel Rodríguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thomas Sankara: Un revolucionario africano es una breve biografía del revolucionario burkinabé Thomas Sankara, escrita por Ernest Harsch, sociólogo que vivió en Burkina Faso y pudo conocer al propio Sankara en persona.

No voy a resumir la vida, presidencia y legado de Sankara (que son admirables), sino que voy a valorar la biografía en sí. A mi juicio es demasiado corta, escasa en bibliografía y muy escueta en la descripción del momento histórico. He echado en falta más datos demográficos y económicos, que permitan entender mejor la situación de Burkina Faso. El contexto geopolítico internacional es prácticamente inexistente, limitándose a la breve mencion de los intercambios de Sankara con otras figuras como François Miterrand o Fidel Castro. No explica la situación de la Françafrique, ni el contexto de Guerra Fría. Ni siquiera describe qué es la Tricontinental o el Movimiento de los No Alineados y la relación de estos con Burkina Faso. El clima social burkinabé es contado muy someramente, y echo en falta una descripción detallada de la estructura y funcionamiento del régimen político sankarista. Existe una explicación de las funciones de ciertos organismos que son creados, como el Comité Nacional de la Revolución, pero no la estructura de toma de decisiones. El llamamiento de Thomas Sankara de la cancelación de la deuda africana es pasado de puntillas, y aunque se mencionan los intereses franceses y estadounidenses en la muerte de Sankara, no existe ningún análisis al respecto.

A pesar de los grandes defectos que encuentro a la biografía, es una lectura que recomiendo, porque todo lo que conozcamos sobre Sankara es poco. Es nuestro deber reivindicar y dar a conocer su figura. Se trata de uno de los mayores revolucionarios del siglo XX, a pesar de haber tenido un muy breve gobierno (4  años). Referente anticolonial, panafricanista, vanguardista en la lucha contra el cambio climático, promotor de la emancipación de la mujer… Le plantó cara al imperialismo internacional y a la burguesía local, y lo pagó con su vida. Hoy en día su eco se oye en todo el sur global, y resuena con fuerza en la esperanzadora Alianza de Estados del Sahel.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and truly servant hearted leader. His assassination was a huge loss. The book, although just a bite-sized view of his time in power did well to outline his policies and their impact in an interesting way.

[JRT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Thomas Sankara was a visionary and true champion of the oppressed masses. He was a rare leader with a sharp intellect, incorruptible moral compass, and a humble disposition that empowered common people. As the author details, Sankara was ahead of his time with his ideas on social and economic development. His innovations and the innovations he supported transformed his country, a former France colony and one of the poorest regions in the world, into a haven for cooperative, communal, and humanist development. His commitment to egalitarianism and anti-corruption distinguishes him from his contemporaries, both on the continent of Africa and around the world.

Sankara was known for challenging the unequal distribution of power, whether it be the power dynamics between his country, the Upper Volta (later named Burinka Faso) and France, elites in his country and the commoners, or oppressive Western forces and African nations more generally. He crusaded against South African Apartheid, racist oppression of Black Americans in the United States, American imperialism in Latin America, and continued European imperialism throughout Africa. He was truly courageous and fearless in his indictment of oppression and solidarity with the oppressed. Sankara's Pan Africanism and internationalist bent was, above all, rooted in his desire to provide for his people's material needs.

Unfortunately, as Sankara understood, starting a revolution was a lot easier than maintaining one. Sankara's revolution was eventually railroaded, after only four years, due to sectarianism, corruption, and ethnic divisions. His removal from office and assassination was tragic, and was counterrevolutionary in the truest since of the word. This book is a great account of his short but inspiring life.

[Chronics · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the publisher says, this is a short history of Thomas Sankara. It gives a brief overview of Sankara life and politics, never going into extensive detail but with enough depth to not only keep the reader interested but wanting to know more.

As with most biographical books it starts in his early life and upbringing, before delving into his political awakening, it should be noted it does not really explain how he came to think in a socialist manner, although I suppose it one of the poorest countries in the world this will be self evident to most readers that pick up this book for their own purposes.

We Sankara uprising in the military, his union with fellow comrades, and his eventual ascension to commander in chief. All the while, the author does not neglect to mention his policies, their inherent socialist basis, and the impact it had on the people, this last point is particularly emphasized. The book ends by explaining how his methods and objectives antagonized both his political, social and geographical enemies , eventually leading to his murder.

Overall , this is a good introduction to a revolutionary African who once again became a victim of world powers and local greed and jealousy, most readers of this book will want to learn more about the man, his beliefs, failures and successes, therefore it accomplishes the aim of a title that includes "Short Histories".

[Gilbert Ngwiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

True revolution

Thomas Sankara embodied the views of many a young man in Africa and indeed the world over. True revolution,focused on equality for all,resource mobilization for the good of all and dignity for all. It is sad that the forces of selfishness,greed,oppression and darkness construed to deny us an exemplary leader at a peak of his life and no doubt at the height of a true revolution.

[Christian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A True Revolutionary.

This is a great account of the Sankara revolution. The amount of progress such a poor country made in the few years is remarkable. A great leader of the people. However, he didn’t keep tabs on what he calls the “petty bourgeois” within his leadership. Which ends up being his downfall. A must read for any study in socialism/communism or aspiring revolutionary.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief yet very informative overview of Sankara's live and aims for his country and the people.
The author states right at the beginning that he might not be able to be neutral all the time and sometimes the books seems like a hymn for Sankara. But this might just be because Sankara really was a very good person.

[Dele Tosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally got to read about this African revolutionary that keeps popping up on my history

[Phumlani · Rating 5 out of 5]

If i ever become a politician, i want to be this type of politician. Such a selfless leader. Books about Sankara's tenure should be made required reading for African politicians.

[Esteve Nobimé · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be on the curriculum in high schools, all over West Africa.

[Gabby_LM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, quick primer on Sankara's life, tending towards the slightly hagiographish

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite short, but effectively covers the brief but impressive governance of Sankara and the adversities of governing a country like Burkina Faso.

[Matheus Fronza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Very easy read. It is rather short, but it gives a lot of background and details about Sankara's policies and life. Truly an hero and inspiration. I recommend it.

[Dan Moran]

very informative!

[Inas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Sankara is an inspiring leader for whole Africa, close to his people by listening to them and made tangible improvements in their Life, refusing any benefits for himself and his family contrary to his predecessors and their corruption and fighting poverty, imperialism and supporting the contemporary liberation movements everywhere.
When he met Mitterrand, his directness, seriousness and bravery for asking every question and asking first of all about the Rights of Palestinians. As Mitterrand was wondered by his valor describing him as a troublesome man.
To be honest, I considered Sankara as the best military ever held authority and before completing this book I named him as best one in whole Africa. This is before shedding light on shortcomings of his regime.

Most of the emancipation movements were drupped, resultantly, repression stuck to the third world countries including Middle East and Africa (count South Africa as an exception). In Haute-Volta, the struggle was doubled the revolutionary values vs. Reactionary ones and emancipation vs. Exploitation and colonization. Repression was the dark side of Sankara's regime, repression means were used without hesitation to push the revolutionary process, against the old elite of political parties and extended even to the revolutionary allies. Sankara talked to his camardes and refused some of this repressive deeds, thought that persuasion is better than coercion although No elections had been erected for Burkinabè to chose their leader. Sankara chose many of his office holders based on loyalty not efficiency such as Ouédraogo. The matter of elections and choice of officials are shortcomings in every military regime.

Many fulfillments were accomplished by people mobilization- by volunteering -and that way of reform left shortcomings such as:

1- Obligation of people for costly precautions or something they saw ridiculous.

2- In vaccination Mother's mobilization, one took the vaccination by assault and the queue formed almost one kilometer long and waiting for whole days and nights for their turn.

[Akinyi Akinyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our society—still too primitively agrarian, patriarchal, and polygamous—turns the woman into an object of exploitation for her labor power and of consumption for her biological reproductive capacity." (Thomas Sankara)
Africans lost a true revolutionary, a true son of the soil, and a pan-Africanist hero. I wonder where Burkina Faso would be if he were still alive.
This book beautifully highlights Sankara's journey from his early life to the last day before his death. Throughout his journey, one thing I've noted was his resilience, his teachings, and his love for Burkina Faso.
Way before we knew what environmental conservation meant, Sankara tried to educate his citizens on the importance of planting trees and conserving the environment.
It's safe to identify him as a feminist for how he continually and publicly defended women's rights in Burkina Faso. He saw the need for equality for women in workplaces, education, salaries, and in their existence. Not only did he talk about it and let things unfold magically, but he also appointed women to high public offices, something that was unheard of in Burkina Faso.
African leaders are well-known for plundering their country's resources while their citizens languish in poverty. It's admirable to see how he only wanted the best and significant economic growth for his country.
There's so much I can say about Sankara, but that would require me writing a book! 😂
His teachings and values still live within us. May the present and future generations learn something from Sankara's way of life.