[5] During his time in power, Sankara – a well-known war veteran noted for his charisma – attempted to bring about what he called the "Democratic and Popular Revolution" (Révolution démocratique et populaire), a radical transformation of society with a focus on self-sufficiency.
[12][13] One of the first groups to connect ideologically with the label of "Sankarism" was the Sankarist Movement, formed in exile in Paris only weeks after Sankara's assassination on 15 October 1987.
The latter successfully overthrew President Blaise Compaoré in late October 2014, forcing the leader to resign and flee the country to the Ivory Coast and causing a military takeover.
[16] Since the September 2022 Burkinabé coup d'etat which installed Captain Ibrahim Traoré as Head of State, the policies of Burkina Faso's government have been likened to those of Thomas Sankara by both domestic and foreign observers.
[23][24][25] Historical and current Sankarist groups include: The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a Black nationalist, far-left political party in South Africa, founded in 2013 by Julius Malema, the controversial former President of the African National Congress Youth League.
[27] Didier Awadi, a Senegalese hip hop musician and one of the most prominent rappers in Francophone West Africa, describes Thomas Sankara as his greatest inspiration politically.