Suchergebnisse

Insurgent citizens and the State -- Uneasy colonial roots -- Ministries of Plunder -- From crisis to revolution -- Refashioning the state -- On fragile ground -- Mobilization from above and below -- Coup and "rectification" -- "Democracy" with a heavy hand -- Enrichment in a land of poverty -- Tug of war within the state -- COntention in the streets -- From confrontation to insurrection -- A troubled transition -- A new Burkina Faso ?

Thomas Sankara, often called the African Che Guevara, was president of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in Africa, until his assassination during the military coup that brought down his government. Although his tenure in office was relatively short, Sankara left an indelible mark on his country's history and development. An avowed Marxist, he outspokenly asserted his country's independence from France and other Western powers while at the same time seeking to build a genuine pan-African unity. Ernest Harsch traces Sankara's life from his student days to his recruitment into the mil

Thomas Sankara, often called the African Che Guevara, was president of Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in Africa, until his assassination during the military coup that brought down his government. Although his tenure in office was relatively short, Sankara left an indelible mark on his country's history and development. An avowed Marxist, he outspokenly asserted his country's independence from France and other Western powers while at the same time seeking to build a genuine pan-African unity. Ernest Harsch traces Sankara's life from his student days to his recruitment into the military, early political awakening, and increasing dismay with his country's extreme poverty and political corruption. As he rose to higher leadership positions, he used those offices to mobilize people for change and to counter the influence of the old, corrupt elites. Sankara and his colleagues initiated economic and social policies that shifted away from dependence on foreign aid and toward a greater use of the country's own resources to build schools, health clinics, and public works. Although Sankara's sweeping vision and practical reforms won him admirers both in Burkina Faso and across Africa, a combination of domestic opposition groups and factions within his own government and the army finally led to his assassination in 1987. This is the first English-language book to tell the story of Sankara's life and struggles, drawing on the author's extensive firsthand research and reporting on Burkina Faso, including interviews with the late leader. Decades after his death, Sankara remains an inspiration to young people throughout Africa for his integrity, idealism, and dedication to independence and self-determination.

A quarter century after the 15 October 1987 assassination of Thomas Sankara in a military coup, the late president of Burkina Faso remains a near-mythical hero for many young people in his country and across Africa. They idealise the image of a committed, self-sacrificing rebel, who during four years as leader of a small, impoverished Sahelian nation sought to improve the lives of ordinary people while at the same time projecting the country onto the international arena. Why has popular interest in Sankara persisted for so long, despite the collapse of his short-lived revolutionary venture? How is it that each anniversary of his death draws hundreds, if not thousands, to commemorations at his gravesite? This article offers some retrospective reflections and re-examines those features of Sankara's revolutionary era that still resonate with many citizens today, as well as those that have been left behind.
[Héritage de Thomas Sankara ; retour sur une expérience révolutionnaire.] Un quart de siècle après l'assassinat de Thomas Sankara le 15 octobre 1987 lors d'un coup d'état militaire, cet ancien président du Burkina Faso demeure un héro quasi mythique pour de nombreux jeunes dans son pays et à travers l'Afrique. Ils idéalisent l'image d'un rebelle engagé, plein d'abnégation, qui a cherché, pendant quatre ans à la tête d'une petite nation sahélienne pauvre, à améliorer le sort de gens ordinaires tout en projetant le pays sur la scène internationale. Pourquoi l'intérêt populaire pour Sankara a-t-il perduré si longtemps, malgré l'échec de son entreprise révolutionnaire de courte durée? Comment se fait-il que chaque anniversaire de sa mort amène des centaines, voire des milliers de personnes à venir sur sa tombe en commémoration. Cet article offre des réflexions rétrospectives et réexamine les caractéristiques de l'ère révolutionnaire de Sankara qui fait toujours sens pour de nombreux citoyens, comme pour les laissés pour compte.

Mots-clés : Sankara ; Burkina Faso ; révolution ; mobilisation ; développement

Der Autor diskutiert verschiedene in der jüngeren Vergangenheit auf internationaler Ebene gestartete Initiativen, die das Ziel haben, Afrika im Prozess der Globalisierung nicht erneut ins Hintertreffen geraten zu lassen. In zahlreichen Einlassungen afrikanischer Führer enteckt er Anzeichen, dass Afrika nunmehr bereit und in der Lage sei, sein Schicksal in die eigene Hand zu nehmen und der Marginalisierung und der sozialen Exklusion entgegenzutreten. Der Autor zitiert diese Stimmen mit ihrer Kritik an westlichen Entwicklungskonzepten (und dabei v.a. an IWF und Weltbank) und nennt ihre Entwicklungsprioritäten. (DÜI-Sbd)