Burkina Faso’s authorities have announced the establishment of a monthly military ceremony to honor the memory of the country’s revolutionary leader, Captain Thomas Sankara.
The ceremony will take place every first Thursday of the month at 4:00 p.m. at the Thomas Sankara Memorial in Ouagadougou.
The announcement was made following an official tribute held on Wednesday to mark the 38th anniversary of the assassination of Sankara, the father of the Burkinabe Revolution, and his 12 comrades on October 15, 1987.
The official tribute was attended by Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, who represented President Captain Ibrahim Traore, alongside numerous civilian and military officials and citizens. Maurice Konate, president of the special delegation to Ouagadougou, reflected on the historical significance of the day, recalling that “this dark day, marked by injustice and pain, remains forever etched in our collective memory.”
Prime Minister Ouédraogo, speaking on behalf of President Traoré, paid tribute to the revolutionary leader, emphasizing that Sankara is “not only a national hero, but a universal symbol,” noting his enduring moral and political legacy as an example for African youth.
The president of the International Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee, retired Colonel-Major Daouda Traore, used the occasion to call for the official recognition and remembrance of the other victims of the October 15, 1987, tragedy.
According to the Prime Minister, the new monthly ceremony is designed to blend military vigor with popular fervor, aiming to keep the revolutionary flame alive and mobilize the population around the core values of patriotism and sovereignty.
In his message to the Nation, President Traoré stressed the vitality of Sankara’s vision. “Sankara’s dream, nurtured by the people, is not dead. It lives on in the hearts of millions of young people across Africa,” he declared, adding that the memorial must evolve into a key center for remembrance, civic education, and continental influence.
The Head of State concluded with a powerful affirmation: “Thomas Sankara is not a memory. He is a promise. And it is up to us to keep this promise.”
HO/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA