A government delegation from Ghana travelled to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on May 17, 2025, to attend a ceremony held in honour of the late African revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara.
The event marked the opening of a memorial park and the unveiling of a statue dedicated to his legacy.
Thomas Sankara, a former military officer and Pan-Africanist, led Burkina Faso as president from 1983 after taking power in a coup. He served until his assassination in 1987 at the age of 37, along with twelve of his colleagues.
Ghana’s Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, led the Ghanaian delegation.
He was joined by the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, and other senior officials who represented President John Dramani Mahama at the event.
Other members of the delegation included the Minister of Government Communications and presidential spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu; Ghana’s Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahel States, Lt. Col. Gbevlo Lartey (rtd); and D. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey and Chair of Parliament’s Security and Intelligence Committee.
Two former National Security leaders under President Rawlings, Naval Captain Asaase Gyima (rtd) and Kofi Totobi Quakyi, were also part of the delegation.
The newly inaugurated memorial park and statue were built to honour Captain Sankara and his comrades who were killed on October 15, 1987.
During the ceremony, the people of Burkina Faso described the fallen leaders as heroes who may have died but will always live on in their hearts.
According to the government of Burkina Faso, the Thomas Sankara Memorial is intended to serve as a place for reflection on the nation’s history and revolutionary struggle.
In a related development, Ghana’s former president Jerry John Rawlings was also honoured during the event.
Dr. Omane Boamah announced that a street in Ouagadougou will be named after Rawlings in the coming days to celebrate his contributions to the Pan-African movement and his close ties to Thomas Sankara.
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