By Riches Soberekon
Burkina Faso’s transitional government made a significant decision on Wednesday, granting former President Thomas Sankara the esteemed title of “hero of the nation.”
According to the minutes transmitted to AFP, the Council of Ministers adopted a decree recognizing Thomas Sankara as a national hero.
The government explained that this recognition aims to uphold the fundamental values on which the Republic is built.
Thomas Sankara, a revered figure in pan-Africanism, came to power through a coup in August 1983.
However, his presidency was tragically cut short on October 15, 1987, when he was assassinated by his second-in-command, Blaise Compaoré. Sankara and his companions were fatally shot by a group of coup soldiers during a meeting at the headquarters of the National Revolutionary Council (CNR).
The status of “hero of the nation” was established in June 2022 to honor individuals who have demonstrated exceptional bravery in defending national causes or exceptional and honorable dedication to the nation.
Following Sankara’s untimely death, Compaoré remained in power until a popular uprising led to his downfall in 2014.
In April 2022, after a six-month trial, the military court in Ouagadougou sentenced Compaoré, who currently resides in Côte d’Ivoire, in absentia to life imprisonment for his involvement in the assassination of Thomas Sankara.
As part of the ongoing process, the bodies of Sankara and his twelve companions, initially buried in a cemetery on the outskirts of Ouagadougou, were exhumed on May 25, 2015.
A “national and international ceremony to pay tribute to the victims will be organised on 15 October 2023 to honour their memory,” according to the government.
