1982 Upper Voltan coup d'état
1982 Upper Voltan coup d'état | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress |
Council of Popular Salvation Communist Officers' Group Supported by: Trade unions | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Saye Zerbo |
The 1982 Upper Voltan coup d'état took place in the
Background
Upper Volta, formerly a colony of France, had gone through several coups since independence in 1960. In 1966, the single-party dictatorship of President Maurice Yaméogo had been ended by strong opposition from the powerful trade unions and the 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état, and his military successor President Sangoulé Lamizana was overthrown in the 1980 Upper Voltan coup d'état after a long period of labour unrest, famine and economic problems.[1]
After overthrowing Lamizana, Colonel Saye Zerbo re-established the full-on military rule ended by Lamizana with the 1978
Anti-Zerbo protests grew increasingly frequent, with anti-government strikes taking place in April, the trade unions demanding a return to constitutional government in May, and several prominent union and opposition leaders arrested in September.[3]
Coup
On 7 November 1982, the progressive and radical factions within the military regime had had enough with Saye Zerbo. Among them were the "Communist Officers' Group", a clandestine movement formed by Sankara, Compaoré, Zongo and Jean-Baptiste Boukary Lingani. In the capital Ouagadougou, the army chief of staff Colonel Gabriel Yoryan Somé and other officers calling themselves the Council of Popular Salvation moved to depose and arrest Zerbo.[4] Zerbo was declared a lying demagogue who had betrayed the confidence of his people.[5]
Two days after the coup, the little-known army physician Major Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo was named head of state by the new junta. Somé remained chief of staff. The Council of Popular Salvation made several moves over the next few weeks, firing old high-ranking Lamizana-era military officials and legalizing the major trade unions.[3]
Aftermath
President Ouédraogo's leadership wouldn't continue for long. He survived a 28 February 1983
Sankara would himself be overthrown in 1987 by his old friend Compaoré,
See also
References
- ISBN 081-088-010-5.
- ISBN 113-659-621-6.
- ^ ISBN 081-088-010-5.
- ISBN 184-162-352-0.
- ^ "Upper Volta Coup leader not identified". The Canberra Times. Vol. 57, no. 17, 209. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 9 November 1982. p. 5. Retrieved 8 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ISBN 143-300-478-X.
- ^ "Burkina Faso (Upper Volta): Independence to the Present" Archived 2020-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopedia of African History
- ^ "Burkina Faso general takes over as Compaore resigns". BBC News. BBC.