Gambiaj.com – (OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO). Burkina Faso on Thursday commemorated the 39th anniversary of the assassination of Captain Thomas Sankara and 12 of his companions, with President Ibrahim Traoré calling for unity, vigilance and renewed commitment to the revolutionary ideals associated with the former leader.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo represented Traoré at the ceremony and delivered a speech on his behalf.
In his address, Traoré warned that internal divisions could pose as much a threat to a revolution as external enemies, drawing a direct parallel between Sankara’s assassination on October 15, 1987, and the challenges facing Burkina Faso today.
Thomas Sankara, who led Burkina Faso from 1983 until his death, was killed in a coup that brought Blaise Compaoré to power.
Traoré Warns Against Internal Divisions
Traoré said Sankara was not killed by enemies confronting him openly, but by people who shared his table, uniform and oath.
“A revolution dies above all from the fratricidal division of its own guardians,” he warned, urging Burkinabè to reject what he described as calumny, suspicion and internal mistrust.
He said the Burkina Faso of 2026 “is not that of 1987,” pointing to the mobilisation marking four years of what his government calls the “Popular Progressive Revolution” on September 30.
The president argued that remaining faithful to Sankara’s legacy required more than commemorating his death.
“Fidelity to the struggle is first and foremost fidelity to one another,” he said.
Traoré called on citizens to continue the struggle in everyday life, saying it must be pursued “at the front, in the fields, in factories, classrooms, the media and on social networks.”
He also praised Burkina Faso’s defence and security forces and Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland, saying they were making sacrifices “at the price of blood” in the country’s fight against insecurity.
Sovereignty And Economic Independence
Traoré also invoked one of Sankara’s most enduring economic principles, calling on Burkinabè to “consume what we produce and produce what we consume.”
He described the approach as an “antidote to poverty” and a formula for endogenous development.
The president called for the strengthening of what he described as four forms of sovereignty: security, food, economic and monetary sovereignty, as well as cultural sovereignty.
The emphasis reflects the government’s broader political narrative of national self-reliance and reduced dependence on foreign powers.
Sankara Memorial Draws More Than 200,000 Visitors
Traoré also highlighted the growing public interest in the Thomas Sankara Memorial, which opened to visitors on May 19, 2025.
More than 200,000 people had visited the memorial by September 30, 2026, according to the president’s address, generating around 130 million CFA francs for the construction of infrastructure at the site.
He urged Burkinabè to contribute to the “Ma brique pour Sankara” fundraising campaign and expressed the hope that the memorial would become “an open-air library of memory.”
Traoré also thanked the municipality of Rome’s Third District for recently naming a park after Sankara, who is officially recognised in Burkina Faso as a “Hero of the Nation.”
The anniversary comes as Traoré continues to frame his government as the heir to Sankara’s revolutionary project, linking the former president’s legacy of national sovereignty and economic self-reliance to his administration’s political agenda.
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