The country's economy greatly deteriorated during this time. The Compaoré administration routinely dismissed, jailed, and tortured critics, and they are believed to be complicit in numerous extrajudicial killings. Although it was commonly believed that the international community (namely France and various West African countries) would provide Compaoré's presidency with support and praise, Compaoré's administration received little to no support whatsoever from the international community.ĭuring Compaoré's presidency, he won four mostly questionable elections and Burkinabé opposition frequently alleged that they were rigged in his favour. In 1987, almost three years into Sankara's presidency, Blaise Compaoré (Sankara's colleague) and twelve other officers staged a coup d'etat against Thomas Sankara's government and executed Sankara in cold blood.įollowing the 1987 coup, Compaoré immediately overturned all of Sankara's policies, and became the country's president. International organisations such as Amnesty International have alleged that Sankara's government curtailed dissent and engaged in extrajudicial killings. His government was successful in accomplishing a lot of feats, such as outlawing forced marriages and polygamy, encouraging women to participate in the government, increasing school attendance, combatting corruption (the Sankara government encouraged the prosecution of corrupt officials), and reducing the overall infant mortality rate.Īlthough his campaigns were largely successful, his policies antagonised the small but powerful Burkinabé middle class, and tribal leaders were stripped of numerous benefits and privileges. In the early 1980s, Thomas Sankara, commonly referred to as "Africa's Che Guevera", initiated some highly ambitious campaigns for social and economic changes, many of which are considered to be some of the most ambitious campaigns ever launched in post-colonial Africa. The country became independent in the 1960s and was renamed to Burkina Faso in the 1980s. The colony of Upper Volta was established in 1919, but it was dismembered and reconstituted several times until the present borders were recognized in 1947.ġ12 (emergency medical services), 17 (police), 18 (fire department) The French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, but Mossi resistance ended only with the capture of their capital, Ouagadougou, in 1901. Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Burkina Faso was dominated by the empire-building Mossi. Despite years of political turmoil, it offers a diverse traditional culture, history, tribal art and a variety of landscapes. Literally meaning the Land of the Upright Men, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country, comprises an area of 274,400 sq kms and is surrounded by six countries. Other destinations Cattle in Arli National Park 12.05 0.366667 8 Fada N'gourma - gate to the national parks of the southeast.10.316667 -3.166667 5 Gaoua - hardly a pleasant town, Gaoua is near the Ruins of Loropéni, a UNESCO World Heritage site.11.183333 -4.283333 3 Bobo-Dioulasso - the country's second largest city, located in the southwest.It's in the center of the country, in the area known as the Mossi Plateau. 12.368611 -1.5275 1 Ouagadougou, also known as Ouaga (pronounced "wa-ga"), is the capital city.The lushest and most culturally diverse section of the country.Īrid, mostly Muslim, and home to the country's most visited National Parks.ĭominated by the Sahel, home to the Fulani and Tuareg populations of the country. The country's population center, home to the mostly Christian Mossi and the national capital.
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