THOMAS SANKARA: "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIG"

On this day, October 15, 1987, Thomas Sankara, Burkina Faso’s revolutionary Pan-Africanist leader, was assassinated.

As the country’s first president, Sankara led from 1983 to 1987 and remains one of Africa’s most revered revolutionaries. He renamed the nation from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of upright people,” and set it on a path of dignity and self-reliance.

Under his leadership, over 2.5 million children were vaccinated, literacy rose by 60 per cent, and 10 million trees were planted. He championed women’s rights, outlawed female genital mutilation and forced marriage, encouraged girls’ education, and appointed women to key positions.

Rejecting government extravagance, Sankara banned luxury cars and first-class travel, cut salaries, and introduced locally made clothing for officials. A skilled guitarist, he even composed Burkina Faso’s national anthem himself. He refused foreign aid, instead focusing on building roads, railways, and achieving food self-sufficiency without dependency on former colonial powers.

His life was cut short by assassination, widely believed to have been orchestrated by his former ally Blaise Compaoré with French backing. Yet Sankara’s words, ideals, and revolutionary spirit continue to inspire generations across Africa and beyond.