Ouagadougou: Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, representing the Head of State, declared on Wednesday, during the commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the assassination of Captain Thomas Sankara, that the Burkinabe nation paid tribute to 'a national and universal hero,' whose vision continues to inspire young people.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Prime Minister, reading the address by the Head of State, Captain Ibrahim Traore, emphasized that Thomas Sankara was not only a national hero but also a universal symbol. He spoke to his people, but also to all oppressed peoples, advocating for a world free from domination, corruption, and renunciation. His legacy is seen as a call for justice, sovereignty, and dignity, which continues to inspire the Burkinabe nation and beyond.
The Prime Minister delivered his speech at the Thomas Sankara Memorial, located on the former site of the Council of the Entente in Ouagadougou, the location where Sankara and his twelve companions were assassinated on October 15, 1987. He stressed the enduring impact of Sankara's vision, which remains a source of pride and gratitude for Burkina Faso, Africa, and the world.
Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo highlighted Sankara's qualities such as uprightness, humility, discipline, and courage, presenting him as a moral compass for African youth. He demonstrated that a governance model based on responsibility, work, and love of the fatherland was achievable, and his message continues to resonate across schools, villages, and within defense and security forces.
Further, the Prime Minister announced the government's plans to honor the memory of Sankara and his companions by instituting a monthly military ceremony at the Memorial. This ceremony will take place every first Thursday of the month, beginning at 4 p.m., ensuring that the torch of the Revolution remains permanently lit.
The President of the International Committee of the Thomas Sankara Memorial (CIMTS), retired Colonel-Major Daouda Traore, remarked that the commemoration serves as a reaffirmation of the values for which Sankara and his companions sacrificed their lives. He recognized the Thomas Sankara Memorial as a universal space dedicated to education, reflection, and the transmission of revolutionary values.
Colonel-Major Traore also expressed gratitude to Captain Ibrahim Traore, the Head of State, for his esteem and consideration for the visionary and patriot Thomas Sankara. The remembrance of the coup d'©tat on October 15, 1987, when Sankara and his companions were assassinated, remains a significant historical event for the nation.