Thomas Sankara - the Upright Man (52mins)
Burkina Fasoとはモシ語とジュラ語で”高貴なる人々の土地"。元々フランス領アフリカ共同体自治共和国オート ヴォルタでしたがクーデターの後国民の支持の下1983年にトーマス サンカラが33歳で大統領に就任, 翌84年にブルキナ ファソと改名、自ら国歌も作曲、国旗も新調し心機一転。アフリカのチェ ゲバラとも呼ばれる偉大な革命家サンカラは国民に厚い信頼を置かれ国内だけでなく多くのアフリカ諸国にとってもアフリカの真の独立への望みの星でしたが1987年志半ば、革命の同志だった現大統領ブレーズ コンパオレがフランスをバックに起こしたクーデターで暗殺されました。
貧困からの脱出には旧宗主国支配からの脱却と自給自足を目指し、社会的公平、腐敗政治の撤廃、人民の政治参加政権、農地の農民への再配分による大規模な農業生産の向上、大規模な予防接種の実施、医療機関を普及、アフリカ諸国で初めてHIV蔓延認知、教育改革、国民動員による大規模なインフラ整備、国家支出の削減, そして女性器切除(FGM)や一夫多妻制などの風習を禁止, 政府の中枢に女性を起用するなど女性の地位向上に努めるなど数々の斬新な政策を暗殺されるまでの４年間に進めてきました。
人間としての尊厳そして正しい経済政策のなか全アフリカの連帯と発展を描いたサンカラ。実際現地で革命を体験した人達に話を聞くと皆口を揃えてサンカラを讃え惜しんでいました。 サンカラがもしまだ生きていたらブルキナ ファソはそしてアフリカはもっと良い方へ変わっていたのかも。。。
In 1983, Thomas Sankara seized power of the country Upper Volta, a self-governing French colony. It was a popularly supported coup that resulted in Sankara becoming president at the age of 33. He immediately launched the most ambitious program for social and economic change ever attempted on the African continent. To symbolize this new autonomy and rebirth, he renamed the country to Burkina Faso which means “the land of upright people” in Moore and Dioula. He also created a new country flag and wrote the national anthem. Because of his revolutionary programs for African self-reliance that were defiant alternatives to the neo-liberal development strategies imposed by the West, he is often referred to as “Africa’s Che Guevara”.
His policies were oriented towards fighting corruption, reforestation, averting famine, and making education and health a real priority. Also his presidency allowed for women to serve important roles in the government. Improving women’s status was one of Sankara’s explicit goals and was unprecedented in West Africa. His government banned female circumcision, condemned polygamy, and promoted contraception what is very common practices in the region. The Burkinabe government was the first African government to claim that AIDS was a major threat for Africa.
Sankara was overthrown and assassinated in a coup d’etat led by the French-backed Blaise Compaore on October 15, 1987. I spoke to several locals who experienced the Sankara’s administrative reform. They all told me that he was a true hero and made many improvements in his four years as president. They felt he could have made Burkina Faso a much better nation if he was still alive.