History of Burkina Faso

History of Burkina Faso Before the colonial period, the region was dominated by several powerful kingdoms, the most important of which were the Mosse, Gurma, Emirat of Liptako, and Guriko. These kingdoms reached their pinnacle by the turn of the 11th century. Although Portuguese explorers named the three major rivers, it was the French who conquered and colonized the land in the late 19th century. In 1904, the Burkinabè (Bur-keen-ah- BAY) territories became attached to the High Senegal–Niger French Colony until it dissolved in 1919. The territories then became a colony called Upper Volta. The French dissolved Upper Volta in 1932 and distributed its territory among Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), French Sudan (now Mali), and Niger. However, the French reestablished Upper Volta in 1947 and a peaceful struggle for independence was waged throughout the 1950s. Two rival leaders emerged from that movement. One of them, Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly, died in 1958 and his opponent, Maurice Yameogo, then reconciled with the African Democratic Rally (RDA), of which Coulibaly had been a prominent member. Yameogo was subsequently chosen as the country’s first president upon independence on 5 August 1960. Yameogo’s regime was viewed as corrupt and undemocratic, and he was overthrown after a trade union uprising in a3 January 1966 military coup. Lieutenant Sangoulé Lamizana took power as president. During the 1970s, Upper Volta’s four trade unions, among the most powerful in Africa, were able to force political reform. For example, after a nationwide strike in 1980, Lamizana was overthrown in a coup. The coup leader was, in turn, ousted in 1982 by Commandant Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, but division among his supporting officers led to a 1983 coup by Captain Thomas Sankara. For many, the charismatic Sankara soon became (and remains) a hero. He changed the country’s name to Burkina Faso in 1984, made peace with Mali over a territorial dispute, and espoused a socialist ideology. Sankara believed the people should be self-sufficient and not rely on Western aid, and he developed policies toward that goal. Yet in 1987, Sankara’s closest associate, Captain Blaise Compaoré, staged a bloodycoup in which Sankara and 12 other leaders were killed. Despite Sankara’s popularity, few Burkinabè protested the coup because of Compaoré’s strength. Some dissenters were punished, but an armistice with opponents soon followed and a new constitution was issued in 1990. Presidential elections in 1991 were followed by multiparty legislative elections in1992. Compaoré was elected Page 1 of 2 History of Burkina Faso president. Democratization then proceeded slowly but in a stable atmosphere. Compaoré was constitutionally prohibited from seeking a second term; however, parliament amended the constitution in 1997 to make Compaoré eligible for the November 1998 presidential race. Despite an opposition boycott, Compaoré was reelected president. In December 1998, the suspected assassination of journalist and government critic Norbert Zongo set off riots and protests. Government security forces were later implicated in the assassination, but the opposition was unable to capitalize on the public’s discontent. Burkina Faso’s Constitutional Court allowed Compaoré to run for a third term in November2005. Amid allegations of fraud, he won 80 percent of the vote to defeat 11 opposition candidates. References: “Burkina Faso.” CultureGrams World Edition. 2008. Page 2 of 2 .

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