> > Echoes of Revolution: Burkina Faso's Thomas Sankara > > Dominion, January 13, 2008 > by Stefan Christoff. > > http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1599 > > Thomas Sankara, the former president of Burkina Faso, a > political leader > renowned across Africa as a revolutionary, died 20 years ago in > an > assassination that sent political shock waves across the > continent, marking a > critical moment for progressive social movements in Africa. > > Burkina Faso, a small western African nation formally known as > Upper Volta, was > renamed Burkina Faso, meaning "the land of upright people," > after the 1983 > revolution that brought Thomas Sankara's government to power. > > As president, Sankara actively appealed for pan-African self- > determination, for > the full cancellation of foreign national debts across the > continent and for > liberation from apartheid in South Africa. > > "The question of debt is the question of Africa's economic > situation, as much > as peace; this question is an important condition of our > survival," Sankara > said as president. > > "The debt cannot be repaid. If we do not pay, our creditors will > not die. We > can be sure of that. On the other hand, if we pay, it is we who > will die. Of > that we can be equally sure." > > In 2007, Thomas Sankara remains a powerful symbol within > grassroots social > movements in Africa, as the 1983 revolution of Burkina Faso > catapulted an > alternative vision of African development onto the world stage. > > Revolution in Burkina Faso led to a national development model > rooted in > "self-reliance" and social solidarity. > > Burkina Faso presented a radically different concept of > development to the > charity model common today, strongly promoted by international > institutions > like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), or fashionably > displayed through > events such as Live Aid or campaigns such as "Make Poverty History." > > Independently driven development policies and an anti-colonial > political > platform brought international attention to Burkina Faso, > inspiring grassroots > social movements across Africa, and won Thomas Sankara powerful > political > enemies in France, Europe and the US. > > Ten years after the death of Thomas Sankara, the Montreal-based > Group for > Research and Initiatives for the Liberation of Africa (GRILA) > launched an > international legal campaign into the circumstances surrounding > Sankara's > death. In the courts of Burkina Faso, GRILA put forward a > controversial legal > challenge to the government of President Blaise Compaoré, a > close ally of > France who organized a coup d'état against Sankara and who has > held power > since. Compaoré is widely understood as having a direct role in > Sankara's 1987 > assassination. > > After complete dismissal within the courts of Burkina Faso, > GRILA presented > Sankara's case to the UN Human Rights Committee. In 2006, the UN > Committee > ruled in favour of the International Justice for Sankara > Campaign on behalf of > Thomas Sankara's widow, Mariam, and his children, Auguste and > Philippe. > Aziz Fall is a member of the Group for Research and Initiatives > for the > Liberation of Africa (GRILA) and the international co-ordinator > for the > International Justice for Sankara Campaign. In this interview, > Aziz Fall > reflects on the case of Thomas Sankara 20 years after the > assassination and > outlines contemporary efforts to seek justice for the 1987 > assassination. > ---- > > Stefan Christoff: October 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of > Thomas Sankara's > assassination, to highlight this anniversary you recently > participated in an > international speaking tour organized by the Justice for Sankara > Campaign, > focused on the UN case surrounding Sankara's killing. In this > context, can you > reflect on the political significance of Sankara's case in > relation to > contemporary African history and also to international movements > for social > justice? > > Aziz Fall: First it's important to say that Sankara's case > remains relevant and > critical to the understanding the current debate on "African > development"? > This year is the 20th anniversary of Sankara?s death and for 20 > years the > circumstances surrounding Sankara?s death remain unknown. In > this context, > GRILA recently won a major victory at the United Nations, in > establishing a > legal precedent against impunity in Africa. Until today, the > official death > certificate in Burkina Faso claims that Thomas Sankara died of > natural causes > and this is certainly not true. > > It is the first time within the UN system regarding African > affairs that in the > investigation of a case in the death of a former head-of-state, > a UN body has > ruled on the side of justice, outlining clearly [in its recent > decision] that > people have a right to know the circumstance surrounding > Sankara's death and > that the family has the right to be compensated. > > SC: In the context of the recent UN decision, why is Sankara?s > death > significant in terms of struggles for social justice in Africa? > > AF: Sankara incarnated the last African revolution, the last > radical African > experience of the 20th century; today, we can collectively > reference no other > similar political experiences in Africa. In the Burkina Faso > revolution, there > was the establishment of self-reliant development. Concretely, > this meant there > was a serious attempt on a national level to ensure that the > peasantry would > have the correct amount of food crop to supply the national > population with > nutrition, prior to considering the possibility of exporting to > the > international market. > > In Burkina Faso, on a national level, there was an effort to > establish a model > of self-reliant development in regards to food, education and > healthcare; > within four years, the national political mentality and national > production > model were shifted in a progressive direction that no other > African nation has > succeeded in achieving before. > > This political process had an enormous impact on the imagination > of the youth, > while also had an impact in regards to the neo-colonial > framework of > development within Africa, mainly in regards to the ongoing > French influence > over African development. > > France, in reality, hasn?t granted independence to the former > colonies due to > the neo-colonial economic development framework that it > continues to impose on > Africa. France utilizes mainstream development models to smuggle > resources from > Africa, to have easy access to valuable minerals, to have access > and influence > over the maintenance of a system of capitalist development in > Africa. An > economic development system that can only be maintained with the > support of > local puppets that are totally reluctant to listen to the > grievances and > demands of their own population. > > Sankara's project in Burkina Faso is certainly a project that is > important to > consider for Africa because it relates directly to pan- > Africanism, the > collective integration of the African nation-states, certainly > an economic > model that advocates something inherently different than NEPAD > [the New > Economic Partnership for African Development], which is actually > a plan that is > fostering relations between Africa and western nations. In > reality, NEPAD can't > be viewed or understood as an African plan for development. > > Today, Africa needs to outline an African plan for development > and the > development of a local or indigenous definition of development > was fundamental > to the economic program that Sankara was advocating. This is why > Sankara died; > this is why Sankara was assassinated. > > SC: What has been the echo-effect of Thomas Sankara--the way in > which the > legacy of Sankara's alternative economic ideas impacted all of > Africa, the > political and economic ideas that are being discussed today in > Africa within > networks advocating for social and economic justice? > > AF: In terms of civil-society: I must first admit that I have > mixed feelings > concerning the role of civil-society today, as major parts of > "civil-society" > on an international level have been co-opted by the > international neo-liberal > economic framework and institutions like the World Bank and > International > Monetary Fund (IMF). However, there are still very authentic and > participatory > elements to networks today in Africa that are labelled 'civil- > society.' > In this context, it's important to note the contemporary > recognition of > Sankara's economic and political ideas as models for exploring > possibilities of > self-reliant development models. It is interesting to note that > the World > Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, echoed the African Social Forum > in recognizing > Sankara's policies as potential models for self-reliant development. > > Today in Africa, there is a growing movement in support of > Sankara, with > political parties based on Sankara's ideas in Burkina Faso and > Mali; this > movement didn't exist while Sankara was alive, but is thriving > today with an > amazing number of associations, groups and organizations around > Africa and > abroad that are very active today. > > In 2007, I met with many organizations in multiple countries who > continue to > work on Sankara's case while also advocating for the political > and economic > ideas surrounding development that Sankara pushed while alive. > Throughout our > recent international caravan from Mexico to Europe, where we > visited multiple > countries, I was amazed by the crowds that welcomed us and the > support and > solidarity that we witnessed. > > Sankara's ideas are still extremely relevant today. > Internationally, people are > wearing t-shirts and buttons throughout the world, so Sankara is > becoming an > icon, which is not necessarily a good thing; however, it > illustrates the > support for Sankara's ideas today in Africa. Sankara is the Che > Guevara of > Africa, who died at almost the same age, at 37, accomplishing > great things in a > short time while operating with political honesty, with a total > dedication to > the people of Burkina Faso and Africa. > > African social movements continue to recognize Sankara?s legacy > in terms of the > demand for debt cancellation, an unconditional demand for > cancellation of > national debts, as part of an effort to change the balance of > power between > modern economic imperialism and Africa, towards the development > idea of a true > pan-African movement for liberation. > > SC: Can you explain for yourself why Sankara?s case is touching > for you on a > political level? How do Sankara?s ideas strike you? Why are they > important to > you as a social activist? > > AF: It's simple to understand. GRILA was born the year of the > revolution in > Burkina Faso, based on the same values that Sankara advocated, > as GRILA shared > a similar world view, shared a similar dream of establishing a > self-governed > model for development in Africa, which explains the attachment, > the connection. > > Self-governed, or managed development, means that nations must > rely on their > internal forces first, before looking to external assistance. > Development must > be rooted in creating your own markets of consumption. A nation > must feed its > own population, which means that all citizens must have access > to the national > land, while the natural resources and mineral wealth should be > owned by the > people, not foreign companies. > > Sankara advocated for a model of development as focused on first > fulfilling the > basic needs of the population, including providing access to > clean water, to > quality education, to housing and healthcare. Once these > critical elements are > fulfilled on a national level, then you can adapt to modern > economic markets > and modern technology based on the rhythm of your own society > and culture. > > Today, most African nations aren?t in a position to compete in > the world > capitalist market due to realities such as the subsidies within > the > agricultural market within European countries and the unfair > nature of the > international economic system. African nations must rely on > their own forces > first, while co-operating with other nations in the global south. > > SC: Sankara did not formulate ideas of economic development in > Africa within > the charity conception common within wealthy countries as a > solution to the > gross social inequities between the north and the south that are > a pressing > reality today throughout the world. Sankara didn?t ask for > charity; Sankara > demanded social justice, calling for self-determination rooted > in a completely > different social and economic vision to the charity model often > promoted today? > > AF: It's important to remind people that the reality today is > that > "international development" is strategically assisting northern > countries or > developed countries. Fifty years after the establishment of the > Bretton Woods > system of international monetary management, with the creation > of the World > Bank and IMF, an economic system that still dictates large parts > of the > international economic system, poverty and inequity has only > increased. > In this context, it's important to note that the majority of > development aid > granted to southern nations is never truly received because all > financing > received is returned to the donor countries through debt > payments. So the very > tiny amounts of aid or charity that is given is returned, which > is important to > note, while direct aid only makes up only three per cent of the > entire balance > of international development, anyways. Charity from developed > nations to the > south, when reviewing the real statistics, has never actually existed. > > Additionally, it's important to mention that if the > international economic > system was truly fair, charity would not be needed at all. If > international > policies rooted in fair trade were applied, even in a > capitalistic framework, > charity would not be necessary as long as you maintain a > balanced method to > international trade. > > Today, the entire understanding of northern charity and the > humanitarian > framework in which international development is presented is a > complete falsity > rooted in propaganda, a false message that has been repeated for > years. Thomas > Sankara never believed in this propaganda, trying to push an > alternative to the > present model of international development, trying to ensure > that international > development projects in Africa were undertaken on African terms. > > Sankara created a consultation table between international > donors to Burkina > Faso, forcing Italy, France and England, for example, to sit at > the same table > and actually co-operate with the local ideas or concepts of > development. For > this reason, Sankara faced an international aid boycott, which > forced Burkina > Faso to rely and focus solely on national development, which saw > the government > begin the construction of national water dam projects, a > national railway > system using the local energy of their own population, not > international donors > or advisers. > > International development aid pulled out of Burkina Faso because > the western > donor nations were reluctant to be dictated conditions, because > in fact it is > the current international development system that dictates the > conditions for > development. So, for the first time you had a country in Africa > putting forward > a strong position that international development aid must be > delivered and > implemented only through the leadership of the local population. > > For this reason, Sankara's government became unpopular with the > governments of > Europe and North America. As soon as Sankara died, the strong > position on > insisting that the people of Burkina Faso play the central role > in defining > national development or the implementation economic assistance > was reversed. > After Sankara's death, all the international development > agencies returned to > Burkina Faso, achieving little in comparison to the major steps > forward > achieved throughout Sankara's government. > > Many international development organizations exist or thrive on > the conditions > of our poverty playing a large role in sustaining our poverty in > Africa. > Current models of international development thrive on creating > dependency > within the south, a development perspective in which you can't > rely on your own > people, resources or skills--a model of development based on > reliance, not > self-reliance. > > International development agencies mushroomed throughout the > globalization era > due to the downsizing of the state, due to the privatization of > the social > sector as pushed by institutions like the World Bank and IMF, > which saw the > creation of the NGO sector. > > Today, the NGO sector is unsuccessfully attempting to fill the > void of the > state, to support the type of social development in southern > nations that > governments traditionally have taken responsibility for. > Development must be > viewed as a central responsibility of national governments, not > of the private > sector, as the private sector exists simply to accumulate > economic profit, > which is priority number one, not the interests of the people. > This is the > context in which Sankara's economic policies for Burkina Faso > were not > supported by western governments or international development > agencies. > Sankara did win the praise of the World Health Organization > (WHO) after the > government of Burkina Faso managed to vaccinate the entire > population for > multiple diseases within one week. Sankara, with the exception > of the WHO, was > boycotted by many international institutions for the alternative > or > self-reliant development models adopted in Burkina Faso. It is > for the > revolutionary development and national economic programs that > shook the > foundations of the traditional economic development models > imposed on > Africa--which economically benefit European countries--that > eventually led to > Sankara's assassination. [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤