Ouagadougou: Tributes to the unfortunate companions of the father of the Burkinabe Revolution, Captain Thomas Sankara, continued Tuesday in Ouagadougou with the naming of four new streets in the city's 12th district. Four streets in the Ouaga 2000 district of Ouagadougou now bear the names of Emmanuel Bationo, Noufou Sawadogo, Hamadou Savadogo, and Abdoulaye Gouem, all companions in misfortune of President Sankara, assassinated with him on October 15, 1987.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the 4th vice-president of the special delegation of the commune of Ouagadougou, Sidonie Dao/Ou©draogo, mentioned that the street baptism aims to immortalize heroes who gave their lives to the entire Nation. "It is also about inviting the younger generation to remember and know that people fought for this nation, Burkina Faso, to exist," she added. This decision by the Ouagadougou municipality responds to the Burkinabe authorities' desire to induct Sankara's 12 companions into the pantheon of political history alongside President Sankara, who has been elevated to the rank of national hero.
Relatives of the families of the illustrious deceased who attended the symbolic plaque unveiling ceremonies expressed gratitude to the authorities for this initiative. According to Fran§ois Sawadogo, the brother of the late Noufou Sawadogo, it is a great joy that 38 years later, the authorities have dedicated a street to his martyred brother. "I hope that this kind of horror never happens again and that God will bring peace to Burkina Faso," he said.
"Thank you to the people of Burkina Faso and Africa for this act which allows us to remember our father," said the deceased's second son, Polycarpe Bationo. For the president of the international committee of the Thomas Sankara memorial, Colonel Major Daouda Traor©, through these baptisms, the heroes of 87 are rehabilitated and known as such. "They are being rehabilitated in hearts, minds, and the city. They will serve as examples of patriotism and self-commitment for all those who walk these streets," the president added.