On 15 October 1987, Thomas Sankara was killed in Ouagadougou. Within hours, Blaise Compaoré, his former comrade and one of the most powerful figures in Burkina Faso’s revolutionary government, had taken control.
Sankara’s death did not merely remove a president. It marked the beginning of a profound change in the direction of the country.
The revolutionary committees were dismantled. Economic policy moved towards liberalisation. Relations with France and Western institutions improved. A new political order was built around Compaoré, who would remain president for 27 years.
During that period, Burkina Faso experienced economic reforms, political elections and growing regional diplomatic influence. But Compaoré’s government was also confronted by accusations of political repression, unresolved killings and demands for justice over Sankara’s assassination.
His rule eventually ended in October 2014, when mass protests forced him from office after an attempt to change the Constitution and extend his political career.
The Fall of Sankara and the Rise of Compaoré
The events of 15 October 1987 grew out of tensions within the revolutionary government that had ruled Burkina Faso since 1983.
Thomas Sankara and Blaise Compaoré had been close military colleagues. Compaoré had played an important role in the August 1983 coup that brought Sankara to power, and the two men had worked together during the revolutionary period.
By 1987, however, divisions had developed within the government and military leadership.
On 15 October, Sankara was attending a meeting at the Conseil de l’Entente in Ouagadougou when armed men attacked the compound.
Sankara and several others were killed.
Compaoré subsequently became head of state.
The new government described its actions as a “rectification” of the revolution. It argued that the revolutionary government had taken the country in a direction that needed to be corrected.
For many Burkinabè, however, the change was immediately associated with the violent removal of Sankara and the abandonment of many of his policies.
Dismantling Sankara’s Revolutionary System
One of Compaoré’s first major tasks was to dismantle the political structure that had supported Sankara’s revolution.
The Committees for the Defence of the Revolution, known as the CDRs, were progressively abolished. These organisations had been central to Sankara’s system of popular mobilisation.
Their disappearance marked the decline of the revolutionary political model.
The government also moved away from the highly interventionist economic approach of the Sankara period.
Sankara had promoted national self reliance, state involvement in economic activity and a reduction of dependence on foreign assistance. His government had also pursued ambitious programmes in health, education, agriculture, housing and environmental protection.
Compaoré’s government took a different path.
The state began reducing its involvement in productive enterprises and moved towards economic liberalisation and privatisation. Burkina Faso subsequently entered structural adjustment programmes supported by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
This was one of the clearest signs that the post Sankara government was pursuing a different economic philosophy.
Burkina Faso Turns Towards Economic Liberalisation
The economic transformation became more pronounced in the early 1990s.
Burkina Faso entered into structural adjustment arrangements with international financial institutions. The reforms sought to reduce the role of the state in economic production, restructure public enterprises and encourage private sector activity.
The country was also affected by the January 1994 devaluation of the CFA franc, when the currency was reduced by half against the French franc.
The government presented economic reform as necessary for stabilisation and growth.
International financial institutions subsequently reported periods of improved economic performance following the reforms.
The change nevertheless represented a sharp departure from Sankara’s earlier insistence on economic self reliance and resistance to excessive dependence on foreign creditors.
Burkina Faso was becoming increasingly integrated into the international economic system.
A New Relationship With France
The political change after Sankara was also reflected in Burkina Faso’s relationship with France.
Sankara had frequently challenged French influence in Africa and criticised the economic structures that kept African countries dependent on former colonial powers.
Compaoré adopted a much more pragmatic relationship with Paris.
Soon after taking power, his government signalled its desire to improve relations with France. The confrontational tone associated with the Sankara period gave way to closer diplomatic and economic cooperation.
The relationship became increasingly visible during the presidency of French leader Jacques Chirac.
In December 1996, Chirac and Compaoré jointly hosted the France Africa summit in Ouagadougou. The event reflected the importance that both governments placed on their relationship.
Compaoré’s Burkina Faso therefore occupied a very different position from Sankara’s Burkina Faso.
The government was more comfortable working with France, Western governments and international financial institutions.
This did not mean Burkina Faso simply became a French client state. Compaoré pursued his own regional interests and increasingly established himself as an important diplomatic figure in West Africa.
But the change in the relationship with France was unmistakable.
Compaoré Consolidates His Power
The transition from revolutionary government to Compaoré’s political system was not peaceful for everyone who had been part of the earlier leadership.
In September 1989, senior military figures Henri Zongo and Jean Baptiste Boukary Lingani were arrested after being accused of plotting against the government. They were subsequently executed.
Their deaths reinforced Compaoré’s control over the military and political leadership.
The revolutionary coalition that had once surrounded Sankara was disappearing.
Compaoré was now the dominant figure.
He gradually moved the country from military rule towards a constitutional political system while retaining strong control over the political environment.
From Military Government to the Fourth Republic
A new Constitution was approved by referendum on 2 June 1991.
It established the Fourth Republic and provided the framework for multiparty elections.
Compaoré won the presidential election held on 1 December 1991. Major opposition groups boycotted the election, limiting its competitiveness.
The new political system nevertheless gave Compaoré a constitutional framework through which he could continue governing.
His political organisation later became the Congress for Democracy and Progress, commonly known as the CDP.
The CDP developed into the dominant political force in Burkina Faso.
Compaoré continued winning elections while the opposition struggled to challenge the political machinery surrounding the presidency.
The country had moved away from revolutionary military rule, but political power remained heavily concentrated around one leader and his ruling political organisation.
The Constitutional Change That Extended Compaoré’s Rule
The question of presidential tenure became increasingly important.
In 1997, the National Assembly amended the Constitution and removed the two term limit that had previously restricted presidential tenure.
The change allowed Compaoré to continue contesting elections.
He won the 1998 presidential election and remained in office.
In 2000, the Constitution was amended again. The two term limit was restored and the presidential term was reduced from seven years to five.
However, the amendment was not applied retroactively.
As a result, Compaoré’s earlier terms were not counted under the new limitation. He was therefore able to contest the 2005 presidential election.
He won.
He won again in 2010.
By then, the former military officer who had seized power in 1987 had become one of Africa’s longest serving presidents.
The Norbert Zongo Murder
Compaoré’s long presidency was deeply shaken in December 1998 by the killing of journalist Norbert Zongo.
Zongo was the editor of L’Indépendant, a prominent Burkinabè newspaper.
At the time of his death, he was investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of David Ouédraogo, a driver employed by François Compaoré, the president’s younger brother.
On 13 December 1998, Zongo and three other men were found dead in a burned vehicle near Sapouy.
The killing triggered widespread protests.
A government appointed commission investigated the case and identified members of the presidential security apparatus among those implicated in the circumstances surrounding Zongo’s death.
The case became a major political crisis.
Critics accused the government of protecting those responsible, while the authorities maintained that there was insufficient evidence to establish responsibility beyond what had been brought before the courts.
The affair damaged Compaoré’s reputation and intensified demands for political reform and accountability.
It also became one of the defining controversies of his presidency.
Compaoré Becomes a Regional Mediator
While facing political controversy at home, Compaoré was becoming increasingly influential in West African diplomacy.
Burkina Faso participated in regional negotiations concerning conflicts in countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire.
Compaoré increasingly presented himself as a mediator capable of bringing opposing political groups to the negotiating table.
His government was also accused of involvement in regional conflicts, particularly through allegations concerning arms transfers and support for armed groups.
These allegations became part of wider international scrutiny of Burkina Faso’s regional activities.
At the same time, Compaoré’s diplomatic role made him an important interlocutor for regional governments and international partners.
His ability to remain influential despite controversy was one of the distinguishing features of his presidency.
The Question of Sankara’s Murder Remains Open
The circumstances surrounding Thomas Sankara’s death remained one of the most sensitive issues throughout Compaoré’s presidency.
For years, Sankara’s family and supporters demanded a proper investigation.
The authorities did not conduct a full investigation capable of resolving the circumstances of the assassination.
In 1997, Sankara’s widow, Mariam Sankara, brought the case before the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
In 2006, the committee found that Burkina Faso had failed to provide an adequate investigation into the circumstances of Sankara’s death and called for clarification concerning his burial and appropriate measures for his widow.
The case remained unresolved during most of Compaoré’s presidency.
The situation changed after his government fell.
The Investigation After Compaoré’s Fall
Compaoré’s departure in 2014 opened the way for an investigation that had previously been politically difficult to pursue.
Burkinabè authorities reopened the case concerning Sankara’s death.
Forensic investigations were eventually conducted on Sankara’s remains, while witnesses and former officials were questioned.
The case ultimately reached a military tribunal.
On 6 April 2022, the tribunal convicted Blaise Compaoré in absentia of complicity in Sankara’s murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
General Gilbert Diendéré, who had been a senior military officer during Compaoré’s government, was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Hyacinthe Kafando, who was identified by the prosecution as having played a leading role in the operation that killed Sankara, was likewise sentenced to life imprisonment.
Compaoré had denied responsibility for Sankara’s assassination.
The judgment nevertheless represented a major development in the historical and legal treatment of the 1987 killing.
It also transformed the official status of a case that had remained unresolved for decades.
The Crisis of 2011
Compaoré survived another major challenge in 2011.
Soldiers mutinied over pay and conditions, while protests spread through the country.
The unrest exposed dissatisfaction within parts of the military and broader society.
Compaoré responded with changes to the government and other measures intended to restore order.
He survived the crisis and remained president.
But the events demonstrated that the political system was not as secure as it had appeared.
Three years later, the decisive challenge would come from the attempt to change the Constitution.
The Final Battle Over Article 37
By 2014, Compaoré had been president for nearly 27 years.
The constitutional term limit now stood between him and another presidential election.
His supporters proposed changing Article 37 of the Constitution, the provision governing presidential tenure.
The proposal triggered widespread opposition.
Political parties, civil society organisations, trade unions and ordinary citizens mobilised against the proposed amendment.
On 30 October 2014, protesters set fire to the National Assembly in Ouagadougou as lawmakers prepared to consider the constitutional amendment.
Government buildings were attacked, and the crisis rapidly spread.
The proposed constitutional change was withdrawn.
But the withdrawal did not end the protests.
The demand had changed.
The issue was no longer simply whether Compaoré should be permitted to seek another term.
Increasingly, protesters wanted him to leave office altogether.
31 October 2014: The End of 27 Years
On 31 October 2014, Blaise Compaoré resigned as president of Burkina Faso.
His resignation brought 27 years of uninterrupted rule to an end.
He subsequently left Burkina Faso and went to Côte d’Ivoire.
The military initially became involved in the transition that followed, underlining the continuing political importance of the armed forces in the country.
Compaoré’s departure marked the collapse of a political system that had appeared remarkably durable.
He had survived military conspiracies, opposition protests, political scandals, economic difficulties and regional controversies.
Yet the attempt to extend his presidency beyond the constitutional limit proved to be the crisis from which he could not recover.
What Happened to the Sankara Revolution?
The period after Sankara was defined by a fundamental change in direction.
The revolutionary committees were dismantled.
The revolutionary political structure was replaced by a conventional constitutional system.
The economy moved towards liberalisation, privatisation and structural adjustment.
Burkina Faso developed closer relations with France and Western governments.
International financial institutions became important partners in economic policy.
Compaoré also transformed himself from military ruler into elected president and regional diplomatic actor.
The result was not simply the continuation of Sankara’s revolution under another name.
It was a different political project.
Sankara’s government had sought to build a society based on revolutionary mobilisation, national self reliance and a strong challenge to foreign economic dependence.
Compaoré’s government pursued stability, international economic integration, private enterprise and diplomatic pragmatism.
The contrast between the two periods explains why Sankara’s death remains so important to understanding Compaoré’s presidency.
The Legacy of 27 Years
Blaise Compaoré’s 27 years in power reshaped Burkina Faso.
He dismantled the political machinery of the Sankara revolution and replaced it with a constitutional system dominated for decades by his presidency and political party.
He moved the economy towards liberalisation and international financial integration.
He rebuilt relations with France and established strong connections with Western institutions.
He became a significant regional mediator and remained one of West Africa’s longest serving heads of state.
But the durability of his government came with unresolved questions about political violence, accountability and the concentration of power.
The killing of Norbert Zongo became a lasting symbol of the demand for justice during his presidency.
The assassination of Thomas Sankara remained an even deeper unresolved question.
After Compaoré’s fall, that question finally reached the courts. His conviction in 2022 established a formal judicial judgment concerning his responsibility for Sankara’s murder.
Yet Compaoré’s political legacy cannot be separated from the transformation that occurred after Sankara’s death.
On 15 October 1987, Burkina Faso lost its revolutionary president and gained a new ruler.
For the next 27 years, Compaoré changed the country’s political and economic direction, strengthened relations with France and the wider international community, consolidated power through elections and constitutional changes, and survived repeated challenges.
Then, on 31 October 2014, mass protests brought his presidency to an end.
The period between those two dates was the Compaoré era: a period that began with the violent removal of Sankara, replaced revolutionary politics with a more conventional and internationally integrated state, and ended when the president who had ruled for nearly three decades attempted to extend his tenure once again.
Author’s Note
Blaise Compaoré’s 27 years in power were the defining political aftermath of Thomas Sankara’s assassination. After taking power in 1987, Compaoré dismantled much of Sankara’s revolutionary system, moved Burkina Faso towards economic liberalisation, strengthened relations with France and international financial institutions, and built a political order that kept him in office for nearly three decades. His government also became associated with unresolved political killings and the long delayed investigation into Sankara’s death. When Compaoré attempted to change the constitutional rules that stood between him and another term in 2014, mass protests forced him to resign, ending one of the longest presidencies in modern African history.
References
International Monetary Fund. Burkina Faso: Recent Economic Developments and Selected Issues. International Monetary Fund.
World Bank. Burkina Faso: Structural Adjustment and Economic Reform Documentation. World Bank.
United Nations Human Rights Committee. Communication No. 1159/2003, Sankara v. Burkina Faso. United Nations.
Human Rights Watch. Burkina Faso: Human Rights and the Norbert Zongo Case. Human Rights Watch.
Government of France, Élysée Archives. France Africa Summit, Ouagadougou, December 1996. French Presidency Archives.
International Court and United Nations documentation concerning the illicit arms trade and regional conflicts involving Burkina Faso, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Constitution of Burkina Faso and subsequent constitutional amendments concerning presidential tenure, 1991, 1997 and 2000.
