Blaise Compaoré
Encyclopedia
Blaise Compaoré has been the President of Burkina Faso
since 1987 following a coup d'état
that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara
. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown. Following the mutiny, Compaoré has dissolved the government so as to gratify the protestors' and soldiers' desires and demands.
's World Revolutionary Center (WRC)
. He took power in a 1987 coup in which he killed his predecessor Thomas Sankara
. He was elected President in 1991, in an election that was boycotted by the opposition, and re-elected in 1998, 2005 and 2010.
organised by Blaise Compaoré, deposed Major Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo
on 4 August, 1983, at the age of 33. The coup d'état was supported by Libya
which was, at the time, on the verge of war with France
in Chad
(see History of Chad
). Other key participants in the coup were Captain Henri Zongo
, Major Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani and the charismic Captain Thomas Sankara
—who was pronounced President.
, his predecessor as head of state. Compaoré described the killing of Sankara as an "accident", but the circumstances have never been properly investigated. Upon taking the presidency, he reverted many of the policies of Sankara, claiming that his policy was a "rectification" of the Burkinabé revolution.
Initially ruling in a triumvirate
with Henri Zongo
and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, in September 1989 these two were arrested, charged with plotting to overthrow the government, summarily tried, and executed.
Following Compaoré's victory, he was sworn in for another term on December 20, 2005.
to his hometown of Ziniare
after mutineering military bodyguards began a revolt in their barracks reportedly over unpaid allowances. Their actions eventually spread to the presidential compound and other army bases. In the night gunfire was reported at the presidential compound and an ambulance was seen leaving the compound. Soldiers also looted shops in the city through the night.
. Compaoré also helped Taylor in the early 1990s.
.
Compaoré has been active as a mediator in regional issues. On July 26, 2006, he was designated as the mediator of the Inter-Togolese Dialogue, which was held in Ouagadougou in August 2006 and resulted in an agreement between the government and opposition parties. He has also acted as mediator in the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire
, brokering the peace agreement that was signed by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
and New Forces leader Guillaume Soro
in Ouagadougou on March 4, 2007.
He is an Honourary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
was not a monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church and that European NGOs who disagreed with traditional morality were profiting from the situation in order to intervene in regional African affairs.
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Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
since 1987 following a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
that ousted then-President Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...
. In 2011, a mutiny by soldiers over unpaid housing allowances forced him to flee the capital for his hometown. Following the mutiny, Compaoré has dissolved the government so as to gratify the protestors' and soldiers' desires and demands.
Early career
He is a graduate of Muammar al-GaddafiMuammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
's World Revolutionary Center (WRC)
Politics
He is the founder of the ruling political party, the Congress for Democracy and ProgressCongress for Democracy and Progress
The Congress for Democracy and Progress is the ruling political party in Burkina Faso. Its President is Roch Marc Christian Kaboré....
. He took power in a 1987 coup in which he killed his predecessor Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...
. He was elected President in 1991, in an election that was boycotted by the opposition, and re-elected in 1998, 2005 and 2010.
1983 coup
A coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
organised by Blaise Compaoré, deposed Major Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo
Major Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo was President of Upper Volta from 8 November 1982 to 4 August 1983, when he was overthrown in a coup d’état which brought Thomas Sankara into power....
on 4 August, 1983, at the age of 33. The coup d'état was supported by Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
which was, at the time, on the verge of war with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
(see History of Chad
History of Chad
Chad , officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country next to the Atlantic ocean in Central Africa. It borders Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
). Other key participants in the coup were Captain Henri Zongo
Henri Zongo
Henri Zongo was a military officer in the army of Burkina Faso and a key figure in the country's history after decolonisation. He was responsible on 15 October 1987 for the overthrow of the country's government after power became too concentrated with the country's military leaders whom included...
, Major Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani and the charismic Captain Thomas Sankara
Thomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...
—who was pronounced President.
1987 coup
He took power on 15 October, 1987 in a coup that murdered President Thomas SankaraThomas Sankara
Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara was a Burkinabé military captain, Marxist revolutionary, Pan-Africanist theorist, and President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987...
, his predecessor as head of state. Compaoré described the killing of Sankara as an "accident", but the circumstances have never been properly investigated. Upon taking the presidency, he reverted many of the policies of Sankara, claiming that his policy was a "rectification" of the Burkinabé revolution.
Initially ruling in a triumvirate
Triumvirate
A triumvirate is a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals, each a triumvir . The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case...
with Henri Zongo
Henri Zongo
Henri Zongo was a military officer in the army of Burkina Faso and a key figure in the country's history after decolonisation. He was responsible on 15 October 1987 for the overthrow of the country's government after power became too concentrated with the country's military leaders whom included...
and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani, in September 1989 these two were arrested, charged with plotting to overthrow the government, summarily tried, and executed.
1991 and 1998 elections
Compaoré was elected president in 1991 in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties boycotted in protest at the questionable means Compaoré had used to take office in the first place, Only 25% of the electorate voted. In 1998 he was re-elected for the first time. In August 2005, he announced his intention to contest the next presidential election. Opposition politicians regarded this as unconstitutional due to a constitutional amendment in 2000 limiting a president to two terms, and reducing term lengths from seven to five years. Compaoré's supporters disputed this, saying that the amendment could not be applied retroactively, and in October 2005 the constitutional council ruled that because Compaoré was a sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply until the end of his second term in office, thereby allowing him to present his candidacy for the 2005 election.2005 election
On November 13, 2005, Compaoré was re-elected as President, defeating 12 opponents and winning 80.35% of the vote. Although 16 opposition parties announced a coalition to unseat Compaoré early on in the race, ultimately nobody wanted to give up their spot in the race to another leader in the coalition, and the pact fell through.Following Compaoré's victory, he was sworn in for another term on December 20, 2005.
2011 mutiny
On 14 April 2011, Compaoré was reported to have fled from the capital OuagadougouOuagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
to his hometown of Ziniare
Ziniaré
Ziniaré is a town located in the province of Oubritenga in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of Oubritenga Province and Plateau-Central Region, and the birthplace of current President Blaise Compaoré.- External links :*...
after mutineering military bodyguards began a revolt in their barracks reportedly over unpaid allowances. Their actions eventually spread to the presidential compound and other army bases. In the night gunfire was reported at the presidential compound and an ambulance was seen leaving the compound. Soldiers also looted shops in the city through the night.
Sierra Leone Civil War
Compaoré introduced Charles Taylor to his friend Muammar al-GaddafiMuammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. Compaoré also helped Taylor in the early 1990s.
International and regional roles
In 1993, President Compaoré headed the Burkina-Faso delegation which participated in the first Tokyo International Conference on African DevelopmentTokyo International Conference on African Development
is a conference held every five years in Tokyo, Japan, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa...
.
Compaoré has been active as a mediator in regional issues. On July 26, 2006, he was designated as the mediator of the Inter-Togolese Dialogue, which was held in Ouagadougou in August 2006 and resulted in an agreement between the government and opposition parties. He has also acted as mediator in the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
, brokering the peace agreement that was signed by Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Gbagbo
Laurent Koudou Gbagbo served as the fourth President of Côte d'Ivoire from 2000 until his arrest in April 2011. A historian by profession, he is also an amateur chemist and physicist....
and New Forces leader Guillaume Soro
Guillaume Soro
Guillaume Kigbafori Soro has served as the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire since 4 April 2007...
in Ouagadougou on March 4, 2007.
He is an Honourary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
Political views
In an interview with the magazine Famille Chrétienne, President Compaoré asserted that the notion of sexual abstinenceSexual abstinence
Sexual abstinence is the practice of refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical or religious reasons.Common reasons for practicing sexual abstinence include:*poor health - medical celibacy...
was not a monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church and that European NGOs who disagreed with traditional morality were profiting from the situation in order to intervene in regional African affairs.
Amendment of Article 37
President Compaoré has been in been in Power for more than two decades; After his first two terms, he modified the constitution to reduce the duration of presidential term from 7 to 5 years; Currently he is in his last term (til end of 2015). However his political party is working towards suppressing the limitation of the presidential terms; The opposition parties and some of the civil rights advocates are not willing to let this happen, as it will likely bring future chaos for the country.See also
- Tokyo International Conference on African DevelopmentTokyo International Conference on African Developmentis a conference held every five years in Tokyo, Japan, with the objective "to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners." Japan is a co-host of these conferences. Other co-organizers of TICAD are the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa...
(TICAD-IV), 2008. - Patron of the International Telecommunication UnionInternational Telecommunication UnionThe International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
's Global Cybersecurity Agenda.
External links
- Web Thomas Sankara
- Pascal Drouhaud interviews Blaise Compaoré
- Reporters Without Borders, Burkina Faso 2004 Annual Report
- IFEX: Monitoring media freedom in Burkina Faso
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