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| Burkina Faso 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮 | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms
| |
Motto: La Patrie ou la Mort, Nous Vaincrons Homeland or Death, we will overcome | |
 | |
| Capital and largest city | Ouagadougou |
| Official languages | Bissa Dyula Fula Mooré |
| Membership | Confederation of Sahel States |
| Government | Military junta |
• President | Ibrahim Traoré |
• Prime Minister | Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo |
| Area | |
• Total | 274,200 km² |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 22,489,126 |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Calling code | +226 |
| ISO 3166 code | BF |
| Internet TLD | .bf |
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It borders Mali to the north, Niger to the east and Benin, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast to the south. It was formerly known as Upper Volta before being renamed by Thomas Sankara in 1984. Burkina Faso is often translated as "The Land of Upright People" and incorporates linguistic characteristics from two of the countries languages. The demonym "Burkinabé" incorporates another native language and translates to "Men of Integrity."[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Neocolonial rule[edit | edit source]
The Upper Volta was colonized by the French and became independent in 1960. After independence, it became the neocolonial Republic of Upper Volta, which was one of the poorest and least literate countries in the world. Before the Sankara-led Burkinabé Revolution in 1983, the life expectancy was only 40 years and only 2% of the population could read.[2]
Revolution[edit | edit source]
See main article: Burkinabé Revolution
4 August uprising[edit | edit source]
In 1983, Prime Minister and former Secretary of State Thomas Sankara invited Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi to Upper Volta without permission from President Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo. Protests began in May after Ouédraogo arrested Sankara. Blaise Compaoré led a military coup that appointed Sankara president on 4 August 1983.
Revolutionary government[edit | edit source]
Within weeks, Sankara's government vaccinated 2.5 million children and began a literacy campaign. By 1987, the literacy rate had increased to 73%. Burkina Faso planted ten million trees to prevent desertification and built roads and railroads. Sankara redistributed land from feudal lords to the peasants, and wheat production per hectare more than doubled.[2]
Sankara attempted to create a currency union with Ghana and avoid trading with the franc. He allied with other revolutionary states such as Cuba. In order to sabotage Burkina Faso, France cut off financial aid. The Liberian warlord Charles Taylor asked Sankara for assistance in overthrowing Samuel Doe, but Sankara rejected.[3]
Restored neocolonial rule[edit | edit source]
Sankara's deputy, Blaise Compaoré, met with Charles Taylor, Chadian president Idriss Déby, and a French official in Mauritania while plotting a counterrevolution.[3]
On 15 October 1987, Blaise Compaoré murdered Sankara and took power of the country. He privatized natural resources and joined the IMF.[2] Reagan funded Compaoré's military after the coup. The Obama regime gave $35 million to Compaoré's military.[3]
Compaoré was overthrown in a popular uprising in 2014 and fled to the Ivory Coast, but Burkina Faso remained under a neocolonial government. Trump gave another $100 million to the Burkinabé military.[3]
Burkina Faso issued an arrest warrant for Compaoré in 2016, though the Ivory Coast did not approve extradition. Compaoré was convicted of Sankara's assassination on 6 April 2022.[4]
2022 coups[edit | edit source]
In January 2022, a group of nationalist military officers overthrew President Roch Kaboré, a wealthy comprador and established the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (PMSR). Paul-Henri Damiba took power and was initially popular. He expelled hundreds of French troops but failed to defeat Salafi jihadists.[5]
In September 2022, Ibrahim Traoré led an anti-imperialist, Pan-Africanist coup, taking leadership of the PMSR. In February 2023, he met with the governments of Guinea and Mali and proposed creating a federation. He criticized the African Union for siding with the West.[6] Traoré appointed Apollinaire Tambèla, a Sankara loyalist, as prime minister to help with the "refoundation of the nation."[5]
The Traoré government moved to secure sovereignty over the country. The military successfully won the trust of the people by leading a largely successful campaign against the militias. In November 2023, the Traoré government approved plans for the country's first gold refinery in an effort to move up the international division of labor.[7] In June, private land developers were barred from participating in urban planning projects, and limited to five hectares of land.[8]
On 16 September 2023, in response to threats from the French-backed Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali formed a collective defense pact called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), in which an attack on one of the countries is regarded as an attack on the other members.[9][10]
Membership in the AES[edit | edit source]
On 28 January 2024 the leaders of the three countries declared intent to withdraw from ECOWAS. The withdraw was completed 29 January 2025. On the same date, the AES common passport became active.[11]
On 6 July 2024 the confederation treaty was signed, aimed at strengthening the previous AES defense pact, with the long-term goal of creating a single sovereign Sahel state with common citizenship, economy, and government.[12]
The Traoré government nationalized two gold mines on 27 August 2024 after UK-based Endeavor Mining overvalued the mines in a sale to Lilium Mining. The government stepped in to solve the ensuing legal dispute between the companies by purchasing the mines at a fraction of the 300 million USD faulty valuation.[7] The two mines, along with three others, were completely nationalized in June 2025.[13]
In December 2024, Traoré inaugurated an 8.9 million USD tomato processing plant. Alongside other new tomato processing facilities, Traoré sought to reduce the country's dependence on processed tomato imports. Burkina Faso produced the fourth largest amount of tomatoes in the region during 2022, yet the same year tomato puree imports totaled 8 million USD.[14]
On 5 February 2025, the Minister of the Economy and Finances announced a complete land nationalization and banned foreigners from holding rural land titles.[8]
The Confederation launched the Alliance of Agricultural Seed Producers of the Sahel (APSA-Sahel) on 7 April 2025 to develop, distribute and market specialized seeds for the harsh climate. Without the partnership of large agribusinesses which consider their modified seeds as intellectual property, the APSA will facilitate free movement of seeds between people and across confederation state borders.[15]
Traoré attended the 2025 Moscow Victory Day Parade in May 2025 where he deepened and defined Burkina's relationship with the Russian Federation. Traoré asserted that the Salafi jihadists active in the Sahel, themselves resultant from the 2011 NATO war on Libya, functionally serve imperialist interests by destabilizing the states of the region. In regards to food sovereignty and aid, he stated: “We made a promise to President Putin that we no longer wish to be supplied with wheat because we are going to produce the wheat. And I’ll keep this promise because we have started to produce the wheat in [sufficient] quantities to satisfy the local demand.” Traoré also declared his intention for Burkinabés to be educated in the sciences with Russian support “so that we can develop our own production, industry, and engineering.”[16]
On 21 June 2025 Burkina Faso celebrated National Tree Day and set the goal of planting 5 million trees in a single hour, and 20 million trees before the end of the year, in the fight against desertification. It is desired for each province to keep a publicly owned medicinal plant nursery to further healthcare access.[17]
Living standards[edit | edit source]
According to April 2022 data, 40% of the Burkinabé population lived in poverty. Only a third of adults were literate, and under 20% had electricity. The country ranked 144/157th in World Bank quality of living standards.[3]
LGBT rights[edit | edit source]
On September 1, 2025, the Transitional Legislative Assembly passed the Personal and Family Code, which criminalized homosexuality and similar practices with 2 to 5 years in prison and a fine as punishment. According to the Minister of Justice, Rodrigue Bayala, repeat offenders that are not of Burkinabe nationality will be deported.[18]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Dr. Y. (2013-09-12). "Why the name: Burkina Faso?" African Heritage. Archived from the original on 2025-05-10. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Curry Malott (2020-12-21). "Thomas Sankara: Leadership and action that inspires 71 years later" Liberation School. Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Jeremy Kuzmarov (2022-04-29). "This Man Pulled the Trigger, But Did the CIA and DGSE Put the Idea in His Head and the Gun in His Hand?" CovertAction Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-11-16.
- ↑ Tanupriya Singh (2022-04-08). "Blaise Compaoré convicted for the murder of revolutionary Burkinabé leader Thomas Sankara" Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ben Norton (2023-07-31). "Burkina Faso’s new president condemns imperialism, quotes Che Guevara, allies with Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba" Geopolitical Economy Report. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ↑ Vijay Prashad, Kambale Musavuli (2023-08-01). "Niger Is the Fourth Country in the Sahel to Experience an Anti-Western Coup" Independent Media Institute. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Steve Lalla (2024-09-10). "Burkina Faso Nationalizes UK Goldmines" Orinoco Tribune. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Burkina Faso Nationalises All Land" (2025-02-17). Prensa Latina. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ Alex Anfruns (2024-11-09). "The confederation of Sahel States and their struggle against neo-colonialism" Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact" (2023-09-16). Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ↑ Nicholas Mwangi (2025-01-29). "Sahel states exit ECOWAS, launch regional passport and joint military" Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso military leaders sign new pact, rebuff ECOWAS" (2024-07-06). Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ↑ "Burkina Faso completes nationalisation of five gold mining assets" (2025-06-12). Reuters. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ "President Ibrahim Traoré inaugurates new US$8.9M tomato processing plant in Burkina Faso" (2024-12-18). Food Business Middle East & Africa. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ Oluwasegun Sanusi (2025-07-04). "Confederation of Sahel States Launches Alliance for Agricultural Seed Sovereignty" West Africa Weekly. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ↑ Pavan Kulkarni (2025-05-12). "“Terrorism we are witnessing today comes from imperialism”, Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traoré tells Putin" Peoples Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ↑ Pedro Stropasolas (2025-06-24). "In the fight against desertification, Burkina Faso mobilizes to plant 5 million trees in one hour" People's Dispatch. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ↑ "Burkina : Les pratiques homosexuelles et assimilées désormais punies par la loi" (2025-09-01). L'Agence d'Information du Burkina. Archived from the original on 2025-09-04.