On October 15, 1987, Burkina Faso lost one of Africa’s most visionary leaders when Captain Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary president often referred to as the “African Che Guevara,” was assassinated during a meeting at the Conseil de l'Entente headquarters in Ouagadougou. The killing was swift, brutal, and symbolically tragic—an act of betrayal staged in broad daylight by men once counted as allies.
According to accounts, Sankara was in a meeting with his closest advisors at around 4:15 p.m. Barely 15 minutes later, the compound was shaken by bursts of gunfire in the courtyard. His driver and two bodyguards were killed instantly, leaving the president exposed.
With calmness and dignity, Sankara reportedly stood up and told his colleagues:
“It’s me they want.”
He then walked outside with his hands raised in surrender, but the gesture of courage was met with cold brutality. He was shot multiple times and died on the spot. The assailants stormed into the meeting room immediately afterward, opening fire on his team and killing 12 of his comrades. Only Alouna Traoré survived to tell the story.
The assassins were soldiers loyal to Blaise Compaoré, Sankara’s closest friend, political ally, and eventual betrayer. By the evening of the coup, Compaoré had declared himself president. He would go on to rule Burkina Faso for 27 years, until being forced from power by a popular uprising in 2014. In 2022, after decades of evading justice, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for his role in the murder.
Sankara’s assassination robbed Africa of a bold and principled leader who championed anti-imperialism, women’s rights, environmental stewardship, and economic self-reliance. Yet, his legacy endures: his vision for an independent, self-sustaining Africa continues to inspire new generations.
His final act—stepping forward to shield his colleagues—remains etched in history as a testament to his character: bold, selfless, and revolutionary to the very end.