History of Burkina Faso

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Burkina Faso flag

The history of Burkina Faso is shaped by the ethnic diversity of the territory and the medieval formation of states, especially the Mossi , whose empires lasted until the arrival of the French at the end of the 19th century and the subsequent colonization by France . In the first decades of the state, which has been independent since 1960 ( Upper Volta until 1984 ), numerous coups led to political instability. The revolution of Thomas Sankara (1983–1987) brought completely new political approaches; with strong cuts it was continued as a "corrected revolution" under Sankara's successor Blaise Compaoré .

Prehistory and early history

Archaeological finds on Burkinabe territory prove a settlement history that began at least 14,000 years ago. The early residents were hunters and gatherers , numerous artifacts such as chisels and scrapers were found in 1973. Around 3600 BC BC to 2600 BC They settled down, started farming and establishing permanent settlements. About 3500 years ago people began to use iron and ceramics, and grave attachments suggest a developing spiritual awareness. Around 3000 years ago, people at Tin-Akoff grew pearl millet.

Archaeological finds of prehistoric artifacts are mainly in the area of ​​the Pics de Sindou in the south-west and at the Mare d'Oursi in the north of the country.

Rock paintings depicting lizards, turtles, horses and antelopes could be discovered. The area around Markoye in the Sahel is particularly rich in rock carvings .

Pre-colonial era

Map of West Africa from 1742

Some of the ethnic groups living in Burkina Faso today, for example the Dogon , were already established in today's territory at the end of the first millennium after Christ and were organized in autonomous communities. Around the 12th century the time of the great migrations began, which gradually brought the ethnic groups from Ghana or Mali into the country, who still make up the Burkinabe population today.

Rich the Mossi

Founding myths of the Mossi oaks (Moogho)

In the 15th century the Mossi moved from the north of what is now Ghana to the north, which according to their mythology took place as follows; Princess Yennenga moved north to escape the influence of her family and had a son named Ouédraogo , the hunter Rialé , who subsequently created the kingdom of Tenkodogo , the oldest of the Mossi empires , from the village founded by his parents . This strictly hierarchical state was the basis for the power of the Mossi rulers in the centuries that followed. Ouédraogo's son Oubri later moved further west and came across the Nyonyonsé settlement area . He conquered their capital, Kombentinga, and founded Wogodogo, later Ouagadougou. He made himself Moogho Naba, ruler of the Mossi, and founded the Oubritenga dynasty. The Nyonyonsé assimilated with the Mossi over time.

Emergence of new empires

One can only speak of a single contiguous Mossi empire, called Moogho , for a short period at the beginning of the 16th century , until the Yatenga empire was founded in the north of Naaba Yadega . This created a new independent empire over which the Moogho Naaba had practically no influence. A unified Mossi empire could not exist. This was due, among other things, to internal dynastic problems, wars between neighboring empires and the differences between the Mossi and the other ethnic groups in the region. The Moogho defines itself not on the basis of political unity, but on the cultural field; the common founding myth, the socio-ethnic integration, the assimilation of strangers, as well as the common traditions and religious ideas form the bond that connects the Mossi empires. There was no central rule by the Moogho Naaba. A total of 19 Moss states are assumed.

In the 18th century, Naaba Kango ruled Yatenga for 30 years after conquering the previously lost throne with the help of other ethnic groups. After his death, the empire split into numerous dynasties; this weakening helped the French conquer. For centuries the Mossi were able to hold their own and ward off the influence of Islam from the north. It was not until 1785 that the first Moogho Naba converted to Islam , but the traditional beliefs and customs were not given up. The Mossi empires retained their power and importance until the arrival of the French at the end of the 19th century . After Naaba Koutou's death in 1871, his sons fought for power; the elder ruled as Naaba Sanem until 1890, when after his death the younger brother Boukary was threatened to become the new Naaba, Naaba Wobgo. He finally tried in vain to defend his empire against the French.

Gourmantché in the east

In the east there was the Gulmu empire of the gourmantché , who are closely related to the Mossi and whose origins are also in the north of Ghana. The legendary founder of the empire, Diaba Lompo , is said to have been related to Ouédraogo. Gulmu was also organized hierarchically, was able to repel attackers ( Fulbe , Hausa ) and was involved in the overthrow of the Mali Empire . In the 18th century the capital of the empire was moved from Pama to Noungou in Fada N'Gourma . Internal power disputes shaped Gulmu in the 19th century: In 1895 Naaba Batchande signed a protectorate treaty with the French in order to be able to defeat his rivals; this was accompanied by his loss of power to France.

Kong, "Gwiriko" and Kénédougou; the region of the west

In the west, the Ouattara dynasty emerged in the 18th century, whose power over the region's ethnic groups led to the term “empire”, which does not do justice to the complex network of relationships between the inhabitants of the region. Rather, warrior dynasties ruled with military power over production units and trade. In contrast to Sékou († 1745) and his brother Famagan († 1750) stood Tiéba, their powerful opponent from Sikasso . Politically administering a certain territory was not in their interest. A center of power was Kong, another in Mouhoun Arch was referred to in historiography as Gwiriko. The mostly acephalous societies of the autonomous villages had different relationships with the maisons de guerre . The use of the term “empire” and their names (Gwiriko, Kénédougou) does not correspond to the historically secured knowledge. Ethnic groups influenced by the Ouattara included the Bwa , Samo and Lobi .

Fulbe and Tuareg in the north

In the 15th century the Fulbe moved from what is now Senegal to what is now the Burkinabe Sahel. They settled in small groups wherever their herds of cattle found water. In 1810 the Muslim Fulbe were able to fend off the gourmantché's claim to power and establish the emirate of Liptako as an independent state with the capital Dori . Heinrich Barth had got a bad impression on his visit to Dori; Accordingly, poverty and anarchy ruled Liptako. In contrast to the first two emirs, who were able to give the emirate an identity, Sori Hamma and his successors were engaged in military campaigns, with the exception of Seeku Saalus (1860–1887). To the west of it existed the emirate Djelgodji with the capital Djibo . Liptako signed a protectorate treaty with France in 1891.

Coming from the north and attacking the Fulbe, the Tuareg were repulsed by them and founded their kingdom of Oudalan north of Liptakos. The Tuareg were militarily defeated by the French in the early 20th century.

French colonial times

Beginning of European colonialism at the end of the 19th century

At the Congo Conference in Berlin (1884/85) the framework conditions for the "Race for Africa" ​​were negotiated

The first European who can be proven to have had contact with the inhabitants of today's Burkina Faso is the German Africa researcher Heinrich Barth . During his trip through North and West Africa, he stayed for about a week in 1853 in Dori, the capital of the then Fulbe emirate Liptako.

At the Congo Conference of 1884/85 in Berlin, the framework was set in which the race for Africa - including the struggle for influence in the not yet colonized West African hinterland - should take place. The empires of the Mossi, so far spared from European influence, aroused the interest of the colonial powers France, Germany and Great Britain, among other things because of their wealth of potential workers and the hierarchical structures of rule, which appeared similar in character to European conditions. France wanted to use the disputed Mossi territories as a link for its possessions in the Sahel and on the coast. The German Gottlob Krause , who was on a scientific mission, was the first European on September 24, 1886, who verifiably visited Ouagadougou, where he was hosted by Princess Baouré Sandwidi. In 1888 Curt von François was forced to turn back in the Bissa area due to hunger and hostilities of the local population when trying to expand the territory of the German colony Togo to the north. Hans Gruner was on a similar assignment in 1894; However, a group of the mission led by Ernst von Carnap-Quernheimb had to turn back in Kombissiri after Naaba's messenger told them that a visit to Ouagadougou had been categorically rejected.

The French Louis-Gustave Binger arrived in Ouagadougou in 1887

As a result of the agreements concluded at the Congo Conference, the French and British felt compelled to underpin their property claims through protectorate and friendship treaties with the autochthonous rulers. A race for such contracts had begun; In 1887 Louis-Gustave Binger arrived in Ouagadougou, but his efforts were just as unsuccessful as Spitzer and Crozat after him. Most recently it was Louis-Parfait Monteil , who was expelled from Ouagadougou by Moogho Naaba in 1890. The Mossi suspected the French of actually planning the subjugation of their empires with the alleged desire for friendship and cooperation.

After all, it was the British George Ferguson  - who had advanced north from the Gold Coast colony in the south - who succeeded in signing a protectorate and friendship treaty with the Moogho Naaba on July 2, 1894 in Ouagadougou. The disappointed French and Germans questioned the existence and possible legality of this contract, especially since, in their opinion, the words of a "Negro" (Ferguson had an African parent) could hardly have the same value as the words of their own officers. The French subsequently intensified their efforts to advance to Ouagadougou. One year after Ferguson's treaty with the Moogho Naaba, France was finally able to conclude a protectorate treaty with the ruler of Gulmu, the neighboring kingdom of the gourmantché east of Ouagadougou. The French are now doing everything possible to reach Ouagadougou from French Sudan. On the way there lay the Yatenga Empire, which was plagued by internal power disputes. Both the king and his opponents had asked France in 1894 for military help in the conflict over control of the empire. This was rejected on the grounds that no intervention would be possible without concluded alliance agreements. Now the French were working on military plans; The Destenave mission left Bandiagara on April 28, 1895 for Ouahigouya, the capital of Yatengas.

Conquest and colonization by the French around 1900

Postage stamp from Upper Senegal and Niger (1914)

Mission Destenave

The governor of the French Sudan colony set Georges Destenave to find out about the power network of the Mossi empires and to obtain the right to settle in the area of ​​application through protectorate treaties. Destenave reached Ouahigouya on May 12 and met Naaba Baoogho, the ruler of Yatenga, who felt threatened by the growing popularity of Prince Bagaré, his worst adversary, and who was hoping for support from the French. After days of negotiations, Naaba Baogho was forced to sign a protectorate treaty on May 18, 1895, by which he renounced his power and subordinated his empire to the French. Destenave refused to support the Naaba in its fight against internal opponents. Two days after Destenave's departure from Ouahigouya, Naaba Baogho was killed in fighting against Prince Bagaré, who was then made king (as Naaba Bulli) of the now powerless empire. Destenave meanwhile continued his march to Ouagadougou. Warned of the hostility of the residents of Yakos, Destenave was persuaded to retreat. He had been given information that the Moogho Naaba in Ouagadougou was ready to attack and push back the small group of French. In order to avoid a probable defeat and not to complicate future ventures, he returned to Bandiagara.

Conquest of Ouagadougou by Voulet and Chanoine

The ministry responsible for the colonies under its new minister André Lebon now worked out plans to bring Ouagadougou under its control by military force. Paul Voulet was commissioned to forestall the British and Germans with the conquest. The majority of the Colonne Voulet consisted of African soldiers who had been recruited in the neighboring colonies. On July 30, 1896, Voulet left Bandiagara and a little later met Naaba Bulli, who had been chased out of Ouahigouya by his opponents. Voulet initiated a punitive expedition in the course of which numerous villages were burned, the cattle were killed and the fields devastated. Strengthened by the men of Julien Chanoine, the march on Ouagadougou began on August 21st.

On September 1, the French were attacked by Mossi riders a few kilometers from Ouagadougou. They came under fire from spears and poisoned arrows. The better equipped soldiers of the column fought their way to Ouagadougou. In view of the French firepower, the ragged troop of the Mossi, whose number is believed to be between 2,000 and 10,000 men, was clearly inferior. There were only a few injuries on the French side. At the time of the invasion of the Voulets troops, the Moogho Naaba had already left Ouagadougou on the advice of his entourage. On September 7th, he had Ouagadougou attacked by horsemen, who, however, had to retreat quickly under fire from the French. The resistance had failed and the Moogho Naaba was forced to seek refuge in the British colony of the Gold Coast. Despite the military success, political submission to the French was not yet possible due to the absence of Moogho Naaba.

Consolidation of French power

As a result, Voulet was able to conclude a protectorate treaty with the ethnic groups in the south, then known as the Gurunsi , and urged his superiors to set up a permanent garrison in Ouagadougou and complete political submission. This was achieved by the treaty of January 20, 1897; the escaped Moogho Naaba had left a power vacuum that, according to Mossi traditions, had to be closed. The remaining Naabas in Ouagadougou submitted to the French with the contract and chose a new Moogho Naaba.

The cruelty of Voulet was also shown later in the submission of the Samo . In 1904 the conquered areas became part of the Upper Senegal and Niger colony .

Serious revolts broke out during the First World War as the population tried to rebel against the forced recruitment by the French army.

Establishment of the Upper Volta colony in 1919

Map of West Africa from 1909

In 1919, a new colony of Upper Volta, divided into seven districts, was created with the governor Édouard Hesling at its head. This step was intended to curb migration to the British colony of Gold Coast and to keep the Islamic influence from the north, which had played a role in the revolts of previous years, away from the Mossi, who - if at all - only practiced Islam loosely. The estimated population of three million people was seen by the French as an economic potential; Forced labor and forced migration (especially to the Ivory Coast ) changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people massively. Forced laborers were used to expand the infrastructure, which the population had to finance through high taxes and charges, since the development of the colonies was supposed to function without help from the mother country. Cotton had to be grown on communal fields in every village.

This policy of colonial administration under Hesling did not have the hoped-for effects; rather, the rural population became impoverished and emigration to the Gold Coast increased again.

In 1926 the cities of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso were founded as independent communes , and in 1927 the district of Say was attached to the colony of Niger . The representative of the colony in the Conseil supérieur des colonies was Louis Proust. Only French citizens were entitled to vote, around 300 of them, including some of Senegalese origin.

Division of Upper Volta among the neighboring colonies in 1932

The French rulers dissolved Upper Volta in 1932 and divided it up among the neighboring colonies of Ivory Coast, Niger and French Sudan , as the colony had proven to be unprofitable. Above all, the populous part that was added to the Ivory Coast was to serve as a reservoir of labor; the abolition of the border made it easier for the Upper Volta to work in the plantations of the Ivory Coast.

The loss of importance of Ouagadougou was mitigated by the creation of the Upper Ivory Coast region within the Ivory Coast in 1938, consisting of the former Upper Voltaic districts with Ouagadougou as the seat of a representative of the governor. This happened under the left Front Populaire , which had ruled Paris since 1936 and wanted to humanize colonial policy. Under the impression of the Second World War, in which many Africans had fought in the French army and sacrificed their lives to liberate France, there were political movements in the colonies demanding emancipation from France. The Upper Voltaans, whose colony no longer existed, became aware of the importance of this division under this impression; an emancipation from France would have to be preceded by the restoration of Upper Volta. The Moogho Naaba in particular, as head of the Mossi, fought for this goal, as the Mossi were the dominant ethnic group of the colony, which, in terms of geographic extent, was in the tradition of the Mossi empires.

Restoration of Upper Volta in 1947

In 1944 the Brazzaville Conference took place, at which the reorganization of the French colonial empire was decided. After the Second World War , the Union française was founded under Charles de Gaulle . The colonies that received more rights were appointed overseas departments and could send delegates to Paris. The elections in 1945 in Ivory Coast, to which Ouagadougou belonged at the time, became the starting point of the struggle for the restoration of Upper Volta within the borders of 1932. The Moogho Naaba had the party Union pour la défense et les intérêts de la Haute-Volta ( UDI-HV) , which competed against Félix Houphouët-Boigny , lost and then renamed itself to Union voltaïque (UV). With the restoration of Obervolta in 1947 the battle was finally won, the "new old" colony could now elect its own regional assembly and send representatives to the French parliament; these were Henri Guissou , Mamadou Ouédraogo and Nazi Boni from the UV, which relegated the Rassemblement démocratique africain (RDA) to second place. The RDA fought for equality for Africans within the Union française, cooperation between the colonies and cooperated with the communists co-ruling in Paris.

The governor Albert Moragues , who had been in office since 1948, was tasked with fighting the independence movements, especially the RDA. Its supporters were brutally treated as “carriers of communism” after the Communist Party ceased to govern in Paris in 1947. The UV was intended to serve as a counterweight to the RDA and, supported by the traditional dignitaries of the Mossi, and the political elite (including Joseph Conombo , Henri Guissou, Mamadou Ouédraogo, Philippe Zinda Kaboré , Nazi Boni) dominated Upper Volta until Morague left for Mali in 1953. The decline of the UV went hand in hand with the rise of the anti-colonialist RDA under Ali Barro , Dominique Kaboré and Djibril Tiémounou and led to the establishment of a large number of parties; Parti social d'émancipation des masses africaines (PSEMA) under Joseph Conombo and Henri Guissou as well as the Parti progressiste voltaïque (PPV) by Gérard Kango Ouédraogo , which merged with the Mouvement dorangiste of a former French military to form the Mouvement démocratique voltaïque (MDV) in July 1956 . After the ideological split in the national sections in 1950, the RDA oriented itself towards Houphouët-Boigny.

Struggle for independence in the 1950s

In all the French colonies in Africa the desire for more independence grew; The suppression and fight against the RDA and the weakening of France by its defeat in Indochina in 1954 led to increasingly louder demands for independence. 1956 began a new restructuring of the French territorial possession. The women's suffrage was introduced 1956th The elections on March 31, 1957 were dominated by the newly created government council; the RDA narrowly won the election, and Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly was appointed prime minister. In December, the opposition filed a motion against Ouezzin Coulibaly, which was successful and brought MDV's Maurice Yaméogo to the post of prime minister.

During the Algerian War of Independence, Charles de Gaulle came to power again in France, where the Fifth Republic was established in 1958. The colonies could vote on their independence in referendums. Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly from the Upper Voltaic RDA advocated remaining within the Communauté française , as he saw the colony not yet ripe for complete self-government. Even Maurice Yaméogo said the Africans the ability to independence at this time on, he said, in Upper Volta knew "not again produce a box of matches." The Upper Voltaic RDA was in contrast to the all-West African congress that had taken place in Cotonou . Gérard Kango Ouédraogo described the pro-independence advocates as "anti-French".

With the rejected independence referendum - Ouezzin Coulibaly had died shortly before in Paris - Upper Volta became an autonomous republic, associated with France within the Communauté française . Upper Volta joined the Federation of Mali in 1959 , which only existed briefly, and finally the Conseil d'entente with Niger , Dahomey and the Ivory Coast .

Kango Ouédraogo and Conombo joined the RDA during the experience of independent Guinea, which was the only colony to vote for independence in 1958, and the French war in Algeria, fueled the desire for independence. As a UN member, Guinea was present on the international stage and had signed treaties with the USA and the Soviet Union, which was followed with envious eyes in Upper Volta. Finally, de Gaulle also declared the colonies to be ripe for independence and so on August 5, 1960 the Republic of Upper Volta was formed.

Independence of Upper Volta

Flag of the Independent Republic of Upper Volta

1960–1966 Maurice Yaméogo first president

Maurice Yaméogo became the first President of the new Republic of Upper Volta and the country became a member of the United Nations on September 20 . In November the population voted on a new constitution providing for a presidential republic and adopted it in a referendum on November 27th. The following years were shaped by the foreign policy positioning within Africa, between moderate states and pan-African forces. Domestically, a balance was struggled between modern and traditional power. The rights granted to traditional bosses by the French were subsequently taken away from them; Yaméogo had decreed that deceased bosses should no longer be replaced by successors. In 1963 the country was divided into four departments and 40 counties.

The president's Union démocratique voltaïque / Rassemblement démocratique africain (UDV / RDA) party was the only party allowed, the right to strike was restricted, and some members of the opposition were arrested. Lower subsidies from France, mismanagement and the lavish style of government brought the country to the brink of ruin and mobilized the people. In order to reorganize the state finances, Yaméogo decided in 1965 to lower wages and social benefits. In January 1966, a strike and mass protests brought Maurice Yaméogo down and Sangoulé Lamizana to power. It involved trade unions and underground parties, including the Mouvement de liberation nationale (MLN) of Joseph Ki-Zerbo .

1966–1980 alternating between military and civil rule under Sangoulé Lamizana

On January 3, 1966, the military Sangoulé Lamizana took power, immediately suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. A provisional military government was formed, and an advisory body was set up in February, which was replaced in December by the Conseil supérieur des forces armées (CSFA). This military government included officers of the general staff. A few days later, all political activity was banned for a period of four years. The aim of the new rulers was to end the economic crisis as quickly as possible. The state finances were restructured, officials had to accept financial cuts. In 1969 the budget deficit could be contained. Upper Volta received a new constitution, according to which a third of the ministerial posts were to be awarded to members of the military until the end of the transition phase in 1970. This constitution of the Second Republic was adopted by referendum.

From the elections of December 1970, the RDA of Gérard Kango Ouédraogo emerged as the winner, who was tasked with forming a government. The party secretary Joseph Ouédraogo became parliamentary president, the Parti du regroupement africain (PRA) became part of the government. Disagreements within the RDA party leadership brought the army back to power in 1974.

The Gouvernement de renouveau national (government of national renewal) had to contend with the drought, the consequences of the oil crisis, the border conflict with Mali and the opposition of the trade unions. These demanded a return to the constitutional order. Lamizana finally dissolved the government and in 1976 appointed a transitional government that lasted one year and was charged with drafting a new constitution. This envisaged a restriction to three parties and the establishment of a government of national unity. This was established in 1977 and the constitution was adopted by referendum.

In 1978 parliamentary and presidential elections took place, in which Sangoulé Lamizana was elected president. Prime Minister was Joseph Conombo . Problems with the unions and the "56 day strike" eventually led to another coup and the fall of Lamizana in 1980.

1980–1983 time of military coups; Presidents Saye Zerbo and Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo

With the coup, the Comité militaire pour le redressement national (CMRPN) was created, the former Foreign Minister Saye Zerbo became president . The new government initially turned to the rural areas, but quickly lost its popularity, mainly due to restrictions on the right to strike and emigration. Conflicts arose within the army and Thomas Sankara appeared on the political stage; for five months he was State Secretary for Information. After his release, displeasure among the young officers led to a coup. Zerbo was supported and a Conseil du salut du peuple (CSP) was created.

Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo became president , the government was split between the forces that wanted to restore constitutional order (Ouédraogo was one of them) and progressive young officers who support Prime Minister Sankara. The crisis intensified with the arrest of Sankara and his followers. The youth of the capital protested and although the moderate forces responded with releases from prison and counter-demonstrations, the division of the military and the weakening of the state could not be stopped. Led by officer Blaise Compaoré , a group of soldiers from Pô overthrew the president on August 4, 1983. This was followed by the creation of the Conseil national de la révolution (CNR).

Revolution 1983; Thomas Sankara President

"Pioneers of the Revolution" (1983–1986)

The Revolutionary Council (CNR) was headed by four people; Thomas Sankara , Blaise Compaoré , Jean-Baptiste Lingani and Henri Zongo . Sankara was a pan-African socialist revolutionary who broke with traditional foreign relations, turned to Ghana , Libya and Cuba and mobilized the people to tackle the fight against poverty on their own. The new leadership was supported by various communist parties and the Comités de défense de la révolution (CDR) established throughout the country . Sankara reorganized the administrative administration of the country, nationalized land and had plans to build schools, wells and reservoirs as well as mass vaccinations carried out. Wages were cut and strict austerity measures were imposed on officials.

Sankara was especially adored by the youth, and on August 4, 1984, the country was renamed Burkina Faso, which he made to achieve international fame. In 1985 he agreed the merger of the two states with Ghana's President Jerry Rawlings . With his style of government and the coercive nature of his plans, however, he turned the traditional elites against him and was overthrown by his close ally Blaise Compaoré in 1987 and shot in the course of this overthrow. This réctification of the revolution of 1984 was justified by Compaoré with the fact that Sankara was about to betray the goals of the same.

At the end of 1985, a dispute with the neighboring state of Mali over the Agacher Strip, which was just a few square kilometers in size, escalated into an open war over the Agacher Strip . However, this conflict was settled after ten days and finally settled by a judgment of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which was accepted by both states .

Fourth republic under Blaise Compaoré

President Blaise Compaoré

Blaise Compaoré, who tried to ease the political situation, became the new president and leader of the Populaire Front . Political prisoners were released and dialogue between actors in society began. Relations with the traditional bosses were resumed.

With the global political upheavals in 1989/1991, Burkina Faso also came under pressure to democratize. In 1991 a new constitution was adopted which established a multiparty system and created the Fourth Republic. Blaise Compaoré was elected president in elections boycotted by the opposition. In 1998, domestic political tensions arose as a result of the murder of the journalist Norbert Zongo, who was critical of the government . Above all, the role of the brother of Compaoré has not been revealed, according to critics. Compaoré announced that it would work towards reconciliation in the country and clear up human rights violations from the years after the fall of Sankara. His party suffered heavy losses in the parliamentary elections in 2002.

After a constitutional amendment that redefined the intervals between elections and re-election restrictions, there were voices in the country who said Compaoré could no longer run for the 2005 elections. The Constitutional Court decided, however, that the new regulations should not be applied retrospectively. Compaoré was accordingly able to present itself as a candidate and was re-elected by a long way ahead of the fellow candidates; in these elections the entire opposition had participated for the first time.

After Burkina Faso had been accused of destabilizing its neighboring countries in recent years (support of the opposition in Togo and attempted coup in Mauritania), Compaoré was able to distinguish itself as a mediator between the conflicting parties in Togo and the Ivory Coast (Ouagadougou Agreement).

Overthrow of Compaorés, interim government and new elections

A planned constitutional amendment that should allow Compaoré a fifth term was heavily criticized by the opposition and led to the largest demonstration in a long time at the beginning of 2014 . In the last week of October, the protests broadened and led to riots. The day before the vote in parliament on the constitutional amendment, the unions and the opposition called for a strike. On October 30, 2014, the day of the planned vote, the military claimed to be deposed of the government and dissolved parliament. The following day Compaoré resigned as president; Army chief Nabéré Honoré Traoré had previously stated that a transitional government would take over power until a constitutional order is restored "within twelve months". He had taken over the office of head of state “according to the constitution”; Compaoré announced new elections within 90 days. The Vice-Chief of the Presidential Guard , Colonel Isaac Yacouba Zida , also claimed the post of interim president and described the Traoré declaration as "ineffective". On November 1, the military leadership unanimously supported Zida, and competitor Traoré also signed a declaration to this effect. Zida announced that he wanted to preserve the "state continuity" and ensure a "calm democratic transition". Compaoré had meanwhile left the country and fled to the neighboring state of Ivory Coast .

In the November 2015 election , Roch Marc Kaboré was elected as the new President.

In 2019, the UN found that the government had largely lost control of the north and east of the country to jihadists. Some of these were ousted from Mali by French troops, and others were recruited by Ansaroul Islam from the Muslim Fulbe ethnic group . There are half a million internally displaced persons and 300,000 children cannot go to school. In February 2020, the UNHCR reported around 865,000 internally displaced persons and almost 2,000 deaths from Islamist groups.

Sources and further information

The main sources are various texts in the work edited by Madiéga and Nao and the websites named as sources.

literature

  • Stephen A. Dueppen: Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna. The Origins of a West African Political System , Routledge, 2014 (most important finding: Kirikongo) ISBN 978-1-317-54366-4 .
  • Yénouyaba Georges Madiéga, Oumarou Nao (Ed.): Burkina Faso. Cent ans d'histoire 1895–1995. Karthala, Paris 2003
    • Noraogo Dominique Nacanabo: Le Moogho au XIXe siècle: aspect politique et administrative .
    • Mahir Saul: Les Maisons de guerre des Watara dans l'ouest burkinabè precolonial .
    • Jeanne-Marie Kambou-Ferrand: La Conquete du royaume mossi de Ouagadougou par la France 1887-1896 .
    • Bi Gnangoran Yao: La Mise sous tutelle de la Haute-Volta, Actuel Burkina Faso (1932–1944) .
    • Anne-Marie Pillet-Schwartz: Prelude à une approche de l'histoire coloniale de l'émirat du Liptako .
  • Al Hassan Wedraogo: Afrique: La marche forcée vers l'Indépendance In: Bendré . December 23, 2005

Web links

Commons : History of Burkina Faso  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Further web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jad Adams: Women and the Vote. A world history. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2014, ISBN 978-0-19-870684-7 , page 438
  2. ^ Large demonstration against planned constitutional amendments , dw.de of January 19, 2014, accessed on October 30, 2014.
  3. ^ Rioting during protests in Burkina Faso , dw.de of October 28, 2014, accessed on October 30, 2014.
  4. ↑ Dirke Köpp: With stones and strikes against Burkina’s president , dw.de of October 29, 2014, accessed on October 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ The military takes power in Burkina Faso , dw.de of October 30, 2014, accessed on October 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ Burkina Faso: President resigns , dw.de of October 31, 2014, accessed on October 31, 2014.
  7. ↑ Army chief in power in Burkina Faso , dw.de of October 31, 2014, accessed on October 31, 2014.
  8. ^ Uprising in Burkina Faso: military chiefs fight for power . Spiegel Online, November 1, 2014, accessed on the same day.
  9. ↑ Burkina Faso: Vice Chief of the Presidential Guard takes power . Spiegel Online, November 1, 2014, accessed on the same day
  10. ↑ Friday 26/2019: [1]
  11. ↑ epd : UN: 765,000 people fleeing Burkina Faso. evangelisch.de of February 21, 2020, accessed on February 26, 2020