Burkina Faso : Stopping Terrorism and Restoring Democracy

 

 

            Because of the constant terrorist attacks in the nation a wave of violence and fear has gripped the small landlock country in West Africa. Why has this violence occurred? What is it source? What can be done to stop the violence of Islamic extremism and terrorism?

            Prior to the arrival of the French colonialist. Burkina Faso was ruled by the Mossi people. They began their rule sometime between the 11^th to 13^th centuries. They established three powerful kingdoms, Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo and Yatenga.

            In 1896, this area became a part of French West Africa. The French named the region Upper Volta. On December 11, 1958, Burkina Faso became the independent nation of Upper Volta. Its first President was Maurice Yameogo. Through Burkina Faso is rich in jewels and valuable metals and 78% of its exports consist of precious metals and gems. Burkina Faso is woefully poor despite its enormous wealth in resources. The average working person’s yearly salary is 6,688,288 XOF(West African CFA franc)  or $10,178 USD. This is $4.89 USD an hour if the person works a 40-hour work week. However, this does not reveal the entire picture. Men earn considerably more than women. The average male’s yearly salary is 8,281,496 XOF or $12,600 USD or $6.05 USD an hour. This is significantly higher than the women. They earn 3,549,212 XOF or $5400 USD or $ 2.59 USD an hour based once again on a forty-hour work week. There is one small problem with the calculations; if one must base it on a forty-hour work week.  Burkina Faso citizens work a significantly longer day. According to the World Population Review, Burkina Faso citizens must endure a work week that is the fourth longest in the world. (https://www.world populationreview.com) At 50 hours a week Burkina Faso is ten hours more than the legal 40-hour work week in the United States. 

            Droughts, famines and periods of instability and corporate exploitation has led to a series of at least nine coup de etat. These coups took place in 1966, 1980,1982, 1983, 1987, 2015 and two in 2022. There was also an attempted coup in 1989. 

            Even though food insecurity, instability has been a large part of Burkina Faso’s history. There have been several rays of hope and people of vision and courage during her turbulent history. One of these, Thomas Sankara brought vision, courage, and a glimpse of a brighter future for Burkina Faso. Thomas Sankara set out basic goals for the liberation of Burkina Faso.

            

“According to the Defense doctrine of revolutionary Upper Volta, a conscious 

people cannot leave their homeland’s defense to one group of men , however 

competent they may be. Conscious people take charge themselves of their 

homeland defense…”

 

“The revolution imposes three missions on the national armed forces:

1.     To be capable of combating all internal and external enemies and to participate in the military training of the rest of the people…

2.     To participate in national production…

3.     To train each solider as a revolutionary militant…”

 

 

Thomas Sankara also encouraged the liberation of woman.

 

            “The weight of age and traditions in our society relegated women 

to the rank of beast of burden. Women suffer doubly from all the 

scourges of neocolonial society. First, they experience the same

suffering as men. Second, they are subjected to additional suffering by men.”

 

            Thomas Sankara called for a planned national economy.

 

                        “The National Council of the Revolution is therefore aware that the construction

                         of an independent self-sufficient, and planned national economy requires  

the radical transformation of the present society, a transformation that itself

requires the following major reforms:

 

·      Agrarian reform

·      Administrative reform

·      Reform of the structure of production and distribution in the modern sector

             Thomas Sankara also sought to :

 

·      Increase labor productivity through better organization of the peasants and introduction of modern agricultural techniques in the countryside.

·      Develop a diversified agriculture, together with regional specialization.

·      Abolish all fetters that are a part of the traditional socioeconomic structures that oppress the peasants

·      Finally make agriculture the basis for the development of industry

 

Thomas Sankara sought to establish a system of education that would benefit the

interests of the exploited classes of Burkina Faso. He sought decent affordable housing for his people. Most of these reforms and others ended when he was overthrown in 1987. Shortly after he was executed. 

            What happened and is happening in Burkina Faso is a testament of the ferocity of imperialism and capitalism in Africa. The leading exports are gold, zinc, and other precious metals. Over 1.9 billion dollars are exported annually. Terrorism is a product US, France, Britain and NATO imperialism and neocolonialism. For a good many years  Libya brought peace and stability to the Sahel region. During this period Muammar Qaddafi lent Burkina Faso a small fleet of MiG 21 fighter bombers. Enough to bring a swift end to any insurgent group. What happened? They were recalled and because of the volcanic effect of the insurgency in Libya brought on by the Al Quadi that was backed by NATO bombing in Libya, the Islamic terrorist forces grew in power throughout the Sahel region.

            Even the slightest reforms of Sankara might have brought peace and prosperity to Burkina Faso. 

·      Making health care available for everyone

·      Setting up maternal and infant assistance and care

·      A policy of immunization against communicable diseases by increasing the number of vaccination campaigns. 

·      Raising the masses awareness of the need to acquire good habits of hygiene

 

While these would not have brought a complete end to Islamic terrorism. It would have held it in check and prevented, in some cases, the lost of life in Burkina Faso.

It will take a great deal of unity and determination to overcome imperialism and oppression. Terrorism can be stopped provided the capitalist nations stop using it to their advantage. Destabilizing governments is not the mission of the United Nations. NATO and western business interests are not the interests of the taxpayers. Taxpayers of the US, UK, France, and the other NATO nations have a vested interest in peace. Peace is the greatest security for the working class. Taxpayers pay the UN to keep the world at peace. This is in the world’s interest. This is in Burkina Faso’s interests. 

However, there is one positive note. Ninety-five thousand volunteers have signed up to fight the terrorists. Perhaps this will be the start of a people’s army. If it can receive training in arms and with live ammunition as has been done recently by Russia’s Wagner Corporation; this might be the start of a new militia, a revolutionary militia, a people’s army, that might save Burkina Faso. It will be an army, in the words of Thomas Sankara:

            

“… capable of combating all internal and external enemies and 

to participate in the military training of the rest of the people.

This presupposes an increased operational capacity, making each 

solider a competent fighter…”

 

            This will open the way to democracy. True democracy is socialism . This will build a cohesive unified nation and stop the string of counter-revolutionary coup de etat.