Burkina Faso Independence Day Date: August 5
Burkina Faso celebrates Independence Day as a public holiday.
Burkina Faso celebrates its independence day every year on August 5th. This country got independent from French rule in 1960. Before that, the territory was merged with and separated from other French territories in West Africa.
Until the end of 19th century, the empire-building Mossi dominated the history of Burkina Faso. In 1896, the French claimed the area but Mossi resistance was there till 1901, when the French captured the capital, Ouagadougou. In 1919, the colony of upper Volta was established. It was dismantled and reconstituted several times. The present borders were recognized in 1947.
Burkina Faso Independence Day History
France colonized Upper Volta in 1897. They did so as a carve-up of West Africa between Britain and herself. The French captured the country, not for any riches, but as a bridge to link their other territories. The population seemed to the French as a huge labor pool. They never invested in the country.
After the world war two, the movement for independence was growing stronger day by day in the West African countries. France recreated Upper Volta in 1947 because she feared the growth of support for the movement in Cote d’lvoire. Eventually the issue of independence was forced in the French parliament in Paris by representation of the French colonies. Thus, each colony was provided its own Government Council. So, in 1958 Maurice Yameogo of the Voltaic Democratic Union was elected as the first president of Upper Volta.
After independence, Yameogo tried to reduce the power of the Mossi rulers, but his power was reduced by the poor economy and internal conflicts. In 1965, he was reelected as president. It was quite unsurprising because all the other parties were banned. In 1966, a group of army officers headed by Lt. Col. Sangoulé Lamizana overthrew his government in a bloodless rebellion. He then became the head of the state. In 1983, another movement erupted which carved out the country’s modern identity. Thomas Sankara led it. Sankara was a staunch supporter of women’s equality. He was strongly anti-corruption and ideological. During his rule, female circumcision and prostitution were banned. He was also against polygamy. He introduced a campaign that vaccinated 3 million children against diseases like yellow fever, measles, and meningitis, in only 15 days.
Burkina Faso Independence Day Traditions and Activities
In this way, Burkina Faso has come a long way in 47 years. It has established its own identity. Every citizen of the country celebrates the Independence Day with unmatched enthusiasm. It is a fact that the country is still poor economically but it is showing a continuous growth of 5%. There are nearly 60 ethnic groups in the country and many religions, which live side by side peacefully. They all take the pledge on the Independence Day to make their country prosperous and peaceful.
Other interesting posts:
- Burkina Faso Revolution Day
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- Bolivia Independence Day
- Niger Independence Day
- Central African Republic Independence Day
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