Burkina Faso inaugurates mausoleum honouring Thomas Sankara
Burkina Faso has unveiled the Thomas Sankara Mausoleum in Ouagadougou, to honour revolutionary leader and former president, Thomas Sankara, along with his twelve aides, who were assassinated during a coup on October 15, 1987. It was inaugurated on May 17, 2025, by Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo on behalf of Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Burkinabé architect Francis Kéré and his Berlin-based studio, Kéré Architecture, the memorial isn’t just made of bricks and stone. It’s built from memory, grief, pride, and the enduring dream of a different kind of Africa. People gathered not just to witness a structure, but to feel the pulse of a history that refuses to be forgotten.
“This place doesn’t just mark death,” said Serge Bayala Imotep, a local civil society activist who grew up hearing stories of Sankara. “It marks the survival of an idea, that people can govern themselves, that we can rise without depending on those who once ruled over us. That’s what this monument stands for.”
The steps leading up to the structure descend deliberately, one for each of the 13 men killed on that October day. Together, they form the shape of an eye when viewed from above; vigilant, unblinking, and full of meaning. For some, it’s a reminder of how justice still eludes Sankara’s memory.
For others, it’s a symbol of collective consciousness, always watching, always remembering. Constructed with laterite blocks, a natural material sourced from the region, the memorial is also an extension of Sankara’s philosophy.
He championed self-reliance, urging Burkina Faso to break free from the grip of foreign aid and instead believe in its own resources and people. Even in its materials, the structure echoes his voice.
For many visitors, it’s more than a landmark, it’s a kind of homecoming. “I brought my son here today,” said Aïssata Diallo, a teacher from Bobo-Dioulasso who travelled hours to attend the unveiling. “He never met Sankara. But I wanted him to know who he was, what he stood for. This place helps me tell that story.”
Prime Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, speaking at the memorial’s opening, described it as a “space of awakening.” He called it a site for everyone who longs for peace, dignity, and justice, not only in Burkina Faso, but across Africa and the world.
“This is where we remember the sacrifice of a man and his companions who dared to dream differently,” the Prime Minister said. “They were persecuted, yes. But their integrity endured. This place bears witness to that.”
The memorial is a space designed for gathering and growth. A restaurant, media library, creative workshops, and offices line a tree-shaded promenade, inviting people not only to remember but to learn, connect, and create. For those who lived through the revolution and its tragic end, the monument brings healing. For younger generations, it offers something just as vital: hope.
Written by Kweku Sampson, edited by Abeeb Lekan Sodiq.
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