Blaise Compaoré (born 1951) is a Burkinabè former military officer and politician who served as the second President of Burkina Faso for 27 years, from 1987 until he was overthrown by a popular uprising in 2014. Initially a close ally and key partner of the revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, Compaoré took power in a bloody coup that resulted in Sankara’s assassination, an act for which he was later convicted.
Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Born | February 3, 1951, Ouagadougou, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) |
| Highest Rank | Captain (when he seized power) |
| Political Party | Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) |
| Presidential Term | October 15, 1987 – October 31, 2014 (27 years) |
| Predecessor | Captain Thomas Sankara |
| Downfall | Fled to Côte d’Ivoire following the 2014 Burkinabè Uprising |
| Legal Status | Sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia for the murder of Thomas Sankara (2022) |
Military Career and Partnership with Sankara
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Elite Training: Compaoré graduated from the military college in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and received advanced paracommando and paratrooper training in France and Morocco. He rose to the rank of Captain in the Upper Volta Armed Forces.
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The Comrades: He developed a deep, close friendship with Captain Thomas Sankara when they served together after the 1974 border clashes with Mali.
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The 1983 Coup: Compaoré was instrumental in the August 4, 1983, coup d’état that installed Sankara as head of state. He served as the Minister of State at the Presidency (effectively the second-in-command) in Sankara’s revolutionary government, known for its radical, Pan-Africanist, and socialist policies.
The 1987 Coup and Presidency
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The Assassination: On October 15, 1987, Compaoré led a coup that overthrew Sankara. Sankara was killed during the takeover along with 12 associates. Compaoré quickly assumed the role of Head of State, claiming the coup was a necessary “rectification” of Sankara’s policies, which he alleged were leading the country toward international isolation and economic stagnation.
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Shift in Policy: Compaoré immediately reversed many of Sankara’s leftist policies, moving the country toward economic liberalization and restoring close ties with France and neighboring Côte d’Ivoire.
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Authoritarian Consolidation: In 1989, he eliminated two other key figures in the 1983 revolution, Commanders Jean-Baptiste Lingani and Henri Zongo, who were executed after being accused of plotting against him, thus clearing the path for his solitary rule.
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Electoral Façade: He resigned from the military to run as a civilian and was elected President in 1991. He was subsequently re-elected in 1998, 2005, and 2010 in elections that were widely boycotted by the opposition and viewed as manipulated.
Regional Power Broker
Compaoré used his lengthy tenure to become a pivotal player in West African diplomacy. He served as a mediator in regional conflicts, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, but was also simultaneously accused of being involved in arms and illicit diamond smuggling that fueled civil wars in those same regions. His stability, albeit authoritarian, made him a key ally for Western powers, particularly France, in the regional security apparatus.
Downfall and Exile
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Constitutional Crisis: In 2014, Compaoré attempted to push through a constitutional amendment that would allow him to seek a fifth term, effectively extending his 27-year rule indefinitely.
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The Uprising: This move sparked the massive, violent 2014 Burkinabè Uprising. Thousands of protestors took to the streets, storming the parliament and other state buildings.
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Resignation: Under intense domestic and international pressure, Compaoré resigned on October 31, 2014, and was airlifted by the French military to Côte d’Ivoire, where he was granted citizenship and remained in exile.
Conviction for Sankara’s Murder
After years of blocked investigations, the post-Compaoré government reopened the case of Sankara’s assassination. In a landmark ruling in April 2022, a military tribunal in Ouagadougou found Blaise Compaoré guilty of complicity in the murder of Thomas Sankara and was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment.