Burkina Faso
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 Map of Burkina Faso
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Burkina Faso was an African Marxist-Leninist state from 1983 to 1987. The four years Thomas Sankara ruled were instrumental in the social and industrial development of Burkina Faso as a society. Social programs such as healthcare and education were further developed. Africans striving to free themselves from colonialism and capitalism sought to emulate the Burkina experiment.
A person from Burkina Faso is known as a Burkinabe.
Revolution
Prior to the revolution, Burkina Faso had been full of political instability and catastrophe, and the Sahel region had suffered years upon years of drought from 1980 to 1987. Corruption was endemic and tribalism prevailed. French money flowed through the country and reinforced the backwards social state of the country. Radicalism took root during this chaos and communist influence spread into new and old organizations. Labor unions were the force behind the popular overthrow of two presidents in 1980 and 1982 respectively.
The proletarian sections of the military coalesced around a group of young Marxist-Leninist officers. These officers took part in the 1982 coup and developed a power sharing agreement with the liberal conspirators. The power sharing agreement broke down when it became clear the liberals were not willing to embrace real change and independence. Libyan military aid to the officers was organized by Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings. Vice president Thomas Sankara overthrew the liberals and cemented the authority of the officers on August 4, 1983, in a military coup. Labor unions were treated as the bridge between the people and military that would transform the coup into a genuine popular revolution. Communist unions participated and most supported. Meetings were held between workers and soldiers to discuss revolutionary philosophy and decide policy.
Colonialism and neo-colonialism
Burkina Faso was colony of France prior to 1960. The now nominally independent economy of Burkina Faso was almost entirely dependent on France. France was still importing natural resources from Africa in much the same way it had as a colonial power. French banks directly controlled the financial affairs of the new West African countries. This indirect imperialism became known as neo-colonialism. Any newly independent nation in West Africa that attempted to assert economic independence would face opposition from the upper class puppets of the French and the government of France itself. Thomas Sankara's rule saw the neo-colonial relationship between France and Burkina Faso severed.
Economic self-reliance
As a result of the aforementioned severing of colonial relations between France and Burkina Faso, there were efforts made to enable Burkina Faso to sustain itself without foreign involvement. Burkina Faso's large cotton industry had mostly exported it is cotton to France before the revolution led to calls for domestic production of traditional African clothing. Food production was raised to self-sufficient levels through the introduction of modern farming methods and the construction of irrigation systems.
International aid was often declined by Sankara and the Burkina revolutionaries. Aid was seen as just another way to pacify the country. The country would be unable to develop its own consistent independent supply lines if French shipments regularly arrived and drowned domestic production. Thomas Sankara often said that equipping Burkina Faso with the knowledge and machinery needed to build itself up independently would actually be helpful.
Offers of development to Burkina Faso were also thought to be imperialist ploys. Development projects carried implications of aid and austerity. If impoverished Burkina Faso could not pay for it is infrastructure projects then the government of Burkina Faso would simply impose austerity upon its impoverished populace to pay for the works, the debt ridden nation would then send tribute until the deficit was paid off. The Sankara government would not agree to such debt trap and publicly scorned all those offered to Burkina Faso.
Healthcare and medicine
The revolutionary government set about initiating programs meant to care for the sick and outcast peasantry of Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso's farm working rural peasantry had traditionally been marginalized by far off urban bureaucrats born with wealth. Hospitals were not accessible to members of the far off rural peasantry. The infant mortality rate was high in Burkina Faso. Both Malaria and illnesses caused by dehydration caused many preventable deaths throughout the country's history.
All these peasant problems were important because about 90 percent of the Burkina seven million strong population was rural. Each of these problems was dealt with. Hospitals were built in places far off from the urbanized capital city. Infant mortality rates sank during these years. Medications for malaria were supplied, medicines for dehydration were distributed while work on watersystems was underway. Mass vaccination campaigns resulted in about 2.5 million safe from preventable diseases. Sankara broke from tradition and was revolutionary in that he cared for those who had been left to die. Support came from revolutionary Cuba sending over doctors who had taken part in similar relief campaigns in that country.
Cultural Revolution
Revolutionary philosophy was trying to embed itself in a very unique culture. Modernization could not take place in a nation with technophobic preachers and tribal leaders latched onto its back. Oppressive religious law and sexist practices were normal in the areas tribalists and religious groups controlled. The poor peasants were the base of the revolutionary movement despite living in the areas controlled by preachers and tribalists. Burkina Faso still really prized the cultures and practices of the rural peoples. Culture there had not been wiped out by French domination as had happened in the cities. The revolutionary government cracked down on barbaric practices meant to mutilate and silence women; they had moved against preachers espousing brainwashed suicidal dedication to religion, overall traditional practices were still protected. Native culture was actually promoted. African languages began to be taught alongside French and as previously mentioned there was mass production of clothes made in traditional Burkina style. Burkina Faso (meaning "Land of the upright men" in native languages) was given its name during the cultural upheaval. Burkina Faso had previously been given the name Upper Volta by Portuguese explorers.
Popular participation
Thomas Sankara had ordered the creation of councils modeled after the Cuban Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. These committees (CDRs) would be established in each workplace and neighborhood as an expression of workers' self administration. Both the Cuban and Burkinabe popular committees played important role in the election of representatives to parliament. Initiatives planned by the government were implemented by committee mobilization. Suppression of counter-revolutionary activity was aided by this vast new networks of alert peasants and workers.
The Burkina committees differed from their Cuban equivalents in scale and powers. Burkinabe committees held much more power and both responsible for social welfare and the direct administration of justice. The differences between the two stemming from the political situation in both countries. Where as Cuba had a Communist party with roots dug into the national community, Burkina Faso had no party with ties to the majority peasantry. Communist parties in Burkina Faso were largely ideologically inept and had historically been formed by pauperized intellectuals and workers living in the cities. Committees in Burkina Faso were so important because they were the only organizations that could form the basis of the new revolutionary state.