**Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara** was a revolutionary, soldier and the
former president of [Burkina Faso](Burkina_Faso "wikilink") from 1983 to
1987. Ideologically a [Marxist-Leninist](Marxist-Leninism "wikilink"),
[Pan-Africanist](Pan-Africanism "wikilink"),
[Feminist](Feminism "wikilink") and
[Anti-Imperialist](Anti-Imperialism "wikilink"), he led some of the most
ambitious and amazing reforms for ecological, economic and social
change. However, the actions of the ruling class in Burkina Faso, the
[French](Timeline_of_French_Imperialism "wikilink") (and possibly
[US](Timeline_of_US_Imperialism "wikilink")) governments and his own
government's centralised nature led to his downfall. He has often
affectionately been called "Africa's [Che
Guevara](Che_Guevara "wikilink")" for his vision of a united, strong,
equal and prosperous Africa.

## Life

### Assassination

In a coup supported by Burkina Faso's ruling class,
[France](France "wikilink"), the
[USA](United_States_of_America "wikilink"), [Israel](Israel "wikilink"),
Libya, [Ivory Coast](Ivory_Coast "wikilink"), [Togo](Togo "wikilink")
and [Liberia](Liberia "wikilink"), Sankara was killed in a gunfight, his
body dismembered and thrown into an unmarked grave.

## Positives

''We try to avoid the conservative notion of '[Great Men in
History](Great_Man_Theory "wikilink")' so when we say 'he', we are
referring to the actions of his government and the collective work of
the people in Burkina Faso. ''

  - He abolished [feudalism](African_Feudalism "wikilink") in Burkina
    Faso, stripping feudal landlords the rights to tribute, [forced
    labor](Slavery "wikilink") and redistributing their land to the
    [peasantry](Peasants "wikilink").
  - He increased food production from 1,700 kilograms of produce per
    acre to 3,900 kilograms of produce per acre in four years through
    the expansion of irrigation and provision of fertilizer and
    tractors. This turned Burkina Faso into a self-sufficient exporter
    of food.
  - He helped supply 7,000 villages with nurseries and planted 10
    million trees in an effort to reforest the Sahel, which was becoming
    drier each year thanks to climate change.
  - He organised 2.5 million vaccinations against polio, meningitis and
    measles (in a country of 7.4 million).
  - He lay 700 kilometres of new railway and financed the construction
    of new roads.
  - He was the first leader in Africa to publicly recognise the AIDS
    epidemic that was ravaging the continent.
  - He renamed the country from 'Upper Volta' to 'Burkina Faso', meaning
    'land of the upright/honest man/men'.
  - He banned [female genital
    mutilation](Female_Genital_Mutilation "wikilink"), forced marriages
    and polygamy.
  - He appointed women to high governmental positions and encouraged
    them to work outside the home and stay in school even if pregnant.
  - He encouraged the use of contraception.
  - He encouraged men to cook, clean and go to the market to understand
    the experience of women.
  - He increased [life expectancy](Life_Expectancy "wikilink") by a year
    in four years.
  - He did all of this without taking loans or foreign aid, preventing
    other countries or the IMF controlling the economy.

## Negatives

  - The main negative established by his government were the *Committees
    for the Defense of the Revolution* (CDR)