Blaise Compaoré (; born 3 February 1951)Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders (2003), page 76–77."Biographie du président", website of the Presidency . is a Burkinabé politician and former military officer who served as the second president of Burkina Faso from 1987 until his government was overthrown in 2014. The longest-serving president in Burkinabé history, Compaoré previously served as the Minister of Justice from 1985 to 1987.
Born and raised in Ziniaré, Compaoré joined the Burkina Faso Armed Forces (then known as Upper Voltan Armed Forces) at the age of 20 in 1971 where he rose through the ranks. Compaoré was a close associate of his predecessor and the country's first President, Thomas Sankara, who appointed Compaoré as Minister of Justice in 1985. The pair were seen as close allies until Compaoré led a coup d'état during which Sankara was killed two years later in 1987. Aged 36 when assuming office, Compaoré was the third youngest Burkinabé president, after Ibrahim Traoré and Sankara.
After taking office, he introduced a policy of 'rectification', overturning the leftist policies pursued by Sankara. In 1989, he founded the Organization for Popular Democracy – Labour Movement (ODP–MT), which merged with twelve other political parties to create the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) in 1996. Compaoré won elections that were not considered free and fair in 1991, 1998, 2005, and 2010. Compaoré's attempt to amend the constitution to extend his 27-year term led to the 2014 Burkinabé uprising, leaving him to resign and flee to the Ivory Coast."Former Burkina president Compaore arrives in Ivory Coast – sources" , Reuters, 1 November 2014. In April 2022, he was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment after being found guilty of complicity in Sankara’s murder.
Compaoré's legacy is complex, with some crediting him with stability and development, while others criticize his records on human rights, corruption and wealth inequality.
Early career Compaoré was born in Ziniaré, Upper Volta on 3 February 1951. His father was a veteran of the Second World War. He studied at a Catholic school in Fada N'gourma, followed by a Lycée in Ouagadougou. His mother died suddenly when he was 15, followed by the death of his father several years later. Compaoré subsequently became very close to the family of Thomas Sankara, whose father Joseph treated him as his own son.
After being expelled from the Lycée, Compaoré underwent basic military training. During his service he decided to pursue a military career, continuing his studies at the Yaoundé Military Academy in Cameroon. There he became acquainted with Henri Zongo and labor union leader Soumane Touré. Following the end of the 1974 Agacher Strip border clashes between Upper Volta and Mali, Compaoré was posted north of Ouahigouya. There he met Thomas Sankara, with whom he developed a close friendship.
Compaoré played a major role in the coups d'état against Saye Zerbo and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo. He has been married to Chantal Compaoré (née Chantal Terrasson de Fougères) since 1985.
Under Sankara's leadership, which lasted from 1983 to 1987, Compaoré was his deputy"AROUND THE WORLD; New Cabinet Named In Bourkina Fasso", The New York Times, 2 September 1984. and a member of the National Revolutionary Council. He served as Minister of State at the Presidency and subsequently as Minister of State for Justice.
Rise to power Compaoré was involved in the 1983 and 1987 coups, taking power after the second in which his predecessor Sankara was killed. He was elected as the president of Burkina Faso in 1991, in an election that was boycotted by the opposition, and re-elected in 1998, 2005 and 2010."Burkina Faso president re-elected by landslide", BLNZ. 25 November 2010
1983 coup
On 4 August 1983, Compaoré organized a coup d'état, which deposed Major Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo.The date of the 194th anniversary of the Abolition of Feudal Privileges in France may have been chosen for symbolic purposes, but there is no evidence of this. The coup d'état was supported by Libya, which was, at the time, on the verge of war with France in Chad.Chad was at war with Libya. France was providing air support to Chad. According to witnesses, some French troops were involved in ground operations. Other key participants were Captain Henri Zongo, Major Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani and the charismatic Captain Thomas Sankara, who was pronounced President.
During the Agacher Strip War with Mali in December 1985, Compaoré commanded Burkinabé soldiers who split into small groups and employed guerrilla tactics against Malian tanks.
Presidency (1987–2014) 1987 coup
Compaoré took power on 15 October 1987 in a coup during which Sankara was killed. Deteriorating relations with France and the neighboring Ivory Coast was the reason given for the coup. Compaoré described the killing of Sankara as an 'accident', but the circumstances have never been properly investigated. Upon taking the presidency, he annulled many of the policies of Sankara, claiming that his own direction was a "rectification" of the Burkinabé revolution.
He initially ruled in a triumvirate with Henri Zongo and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani. In September 1989, Zongo and Boukary Lingani were arrested, charged with plotting to overthrow the government, summarily tried, and executed."Burkina Faso (Upper Volta): Independence to the Present" , Encyclopedia of African History.
First years and 1990s
In October 1987, Compaoré and many others formed a new political party called the Popular Front, centered around communist, as well as Marxist–Leninist ideals. He pledged to continue pursuing the goals of the revolution, but to "rectify" policies which he saw as deviating from the path set out by Thomas Sankara.
In September 1989, while Compaoré was returning from a two-week trip to Asia, there were rumors of a plot to overthrow his government and alleged plotters were arrested that same day, while Compaoré changed the membership of the nation's government. In 1990, he introduced "limited democratic reforms." In June 1991, he announced that Burkina Faso would adopt a new constitution.
In the 1990s, Compaoré supported rebels in Sierra Leone during the country's civil war, a war that would kill over 45,000 people and last for 11 years.
In 1991, Compaoré was elected as the president of Burkina Faso, in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties in protest at the questionable means he had allegedly used to take office in the first place. Only 25 percent of the electorate voted. In 1998, Compaoré was re-elected as president.
Between 1998 and 1999, an insurgency began in Burkina Faso. Many protests, riots, strikes, rallies and marches took place throughout the country. Protesters attacked government properties and civilian houses.
2000s
Compaoré agreed to meet with organizations supervised by the United Nations after allegations surfaced that his government has been involved in smuggling arms to rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola. A week before that, Compaoré met with representatives from Germany, France, and the European Union, to address their concerns that the country had violated the arms embargo against Sierra Leone and Unita rebels.
In 2003, following accusations of a coup plot against Compaoré, numerous alleged plotters were arrested and, in a trial held in April 2004, they were found guilty. Many sympathizers gathered around the court cheering the plotters for their actions.
In August 2005, he announced his intention to participate in the next presidential election. Opposition politicians regarded this as unconstitutional due to a 2000 amendment limiting a president to two terms and reducing term lengths from seven to five years. Compaoré's supporters disputed this, arguing that the amendment could not be applied retroactively,"Burkina Faso: Compaore's decision to bid for re-election raises opposition hackles", IRIN, 11 August 2005. and in October 2005, the constitutional council ruled that because Compaoré was a sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply until the end of his 2nd term in office, thereby allowing him to submit his candidacy for the 2005 election. On 13 November 2005, Compaoré was re-elected as president, defeating 12 opponents and winning 80.35 percent of the vote.
Compaoré was sworn in for another term on 20 December 2005."Mme Brigitte Girardin a représenté la France à la cérémonie d’investiture de M. Blaise Compaoré (Ouagadougou, 20 décembre 2005)" , French Ministry of Foreign Affairs .
In 2008, protests took place because of high living costs, calling for wage increases. Compaoré responded by suspending import taxes on products like food for half a year and by increasing subsidies for water and electricity.
Spanish Hostages Ransom Two Spanish aid workers were abducted in November 2009 and a manhunt began. One week before the hostages were freed, kidnapper Ould Sid Ahmed Ould Hama fled to Mali where he was found, extradited, and convicted to a 12-year prison sentence. It was reported that the ransom was paid by the president's wife, Blaise Compaoré; the hostages were feted in the presidential palace.
Final years in power (2010-2014)
Compaoré announced the establishment of a new Senate with a total of 89 members, with 29 of the senators to be directly appointed by the president, and the rest chosen by local politicians.
2011 protests
On 14 April 2011, Compaoré was reported to have fled from the capital Ouagadougou to his hometown of Ziniare after military formations mutinied in their barracks reportedly over unpaid allowances, with the mutiny spreading to the presidential compound and army bases. During the night, gunfire was reported at the presidential compound and an ambulance was seen leaving the compound and soldiers began looting shops in the city.
Fall from power 2014 uprising
In June 2014 Compaoré's ruling party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), called on him to organise a referendum that would allow him to alter the constitution in order to seek re-election in 2015. Otherwise, he would be forced to step down due to term limits.
On 30 October 2014, the National Assembly was scheduled to debate an amendment to the constitution that would have enabled Compaoré to stand for re-election as president in 2015. Opponents protested against this by storming the parliament building in Ouagadougou, starting fires inside it and looting offices. Billowing smoke was reported by the BBC to be coming from the building."Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze", BBC News, 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014. Opposition spokesman Pargui Emile Paré of the People's Movement for Socialism / Federal Party described the protests as 'Burkina Faso's black spring (sic), like the Arab spring (sic)'."Protesters storm Burkina Faso's parliament". The Guardian. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.