Burkina Faso Inaugurates Thomas Sankara Mausoleum to Honor Revolutionary Leader

Burkina Faso officially inaugurated the Thomas Sankara Mausoleum in Ouagadougou on Saturday, commemorating the revolutionary leader and his twelve companions who were assassinated on October 15, 1987.

The ceremony took place at the Council of the Entente, the site of their assassination. National and international dignitaries, including the Prime Ministers of Senegal and Chad, Security Ministers from Mali and Niger, and delegations from Ghana attended it.

The inauguration date marks the anniversary of Sankara’s arrest on May 17, 1983.

Prime Minister Rimtalba Ouédraogo, delivering a speech on behalf of President Ibrahim Traoré, said the mausoleum is a testament to the nation’s commitment to remembering its heroes and preserving their legacy.

We honour a duty of remembrance through the inauguration of the mausoleum dedicated to President Noël Isidore Thomas Sankara and his comrades in arms. They fell for their beloved homeland, under the murderous bullets of the local lackeys of imperialism and the black parlour workers, for the ideal of dignity, freedom, integrity, and sovereignty, AIB quoted him.

According to reports, the mausoleum, designed by renowned architect Francis Kéré, the first African recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022, features sustainable construction using locally sourced laterite and earth materials.

The design includes an oval-shaped mausoleum, an 87-metre tower, an amphitheatre, and public spaces intended for education and reflection, aligning with Sankara’s vision of community empowerment.

Colonel Major Daouda Traoré, President of the International Committee of the Thomas Sankara Memorial, highlighted the mausoleum’s role in promoting the ideals of the nation’s hero. He stated that the inauguration represents a step in recognising the merits and values of Captain Thomas Sankara and his companions.

The event concluded with a 21-gun salute, the cutting of the ribbon, and the laying of a wreath in tribute to Sankara and his comrades. According to AIB, the mausoleum is part of a larger memorial project that will include a museum, library, exhibition hall, and other facilities to preserve and promote Sankara’s revolutionary legacy.

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