Thomas Sankara

Voices of Liberation
Erscheinungsjahr 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7969-2517-6
Verlag: HSRC Press

Buch, Englisch, 288 Seiten, Paperback, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm

Reihe: Voices of Liberation

Sankara's legacy, unclear as it may be, still lives and he remains immensely popular. If you travel through Africa his image is unmistakable. His picture, with beret and broad grin, is pasted on run-down taxis and is found on the walls of local bars. Internationally Sankara is often referred to as the 'African Che Guevara' and like his South American counterpart; it is his perseverance, dedication and incorruptibility that appeal to the imagination.

Voices of Liberation: Thomas Sankara starts with a comprehensive timeline covering Thomas Sankara's life and major events in the history of the continent and region. His Life section provides the most critical and fraternal assessment of the 1980s radical experiment within the broader history of the country, the region and continent. His Voice section succinctly provides a selection of Sankara's speeches, broadcasts and interviews and gives us insight to his outlook on the world. His Legacy section combines an almost poetic tribute to the flawed though heroic period of Sankara's 'revolution' with an incredibly relentless and honest analysis. This is done through the story of last year's uprising against Compaore - with haunting lessons for South Africa.

The Postscript is an indispensable update to the extraordinary events in Burkina Faso during 2015, chiefly the resistance to the coup in September. The authors look at Sankara's influence on the popular movements and its wider significance for Africa.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Über Autor(innen)

Jean-Claude Kongo is a leading radical writer and activist from Burkina Faso. He works as a journalist in Ouagadougou and has covered some of the country's most important events. During last year's revolution he was a direct participant, active in the October events that overturned the regime of President Blaise Compaore. Kongo was also an eye-witness and enthusiastic supporter of Sankara's during his years in power.

Leo Zeilig is a writer and researcher on African politics and history, he looks at experiments at radical transformation and change on the continent since independence.