Thomas Sankara, a Marxist and pan-Africanist army officer, became President of what was then known as the Republic of Upper Volta after a military coup in August 1983.
He carried out what he proclaimed to be, the "Democratic and Popular Revolution" (French: Révolution démocratique et populaire), implementing many radical reforms.
As a result of the coup, Mariam Sankara was forced to flee Burkina Faso along with her two children.
[4] In late October 2014, a large-scale uprising broke out in Burkina Faso, protesting President Blaise Compaoré's attempts to prolong his 27-year rule.
As a result of the protests, partially inspired by the memory of Thomas Sankara, Compaoré was forced to resign and fled to the Ivory Coast.