History of Burkina Faso Timeline

This act was followed by reorganizational measures approved by the French parliament early in 1957 that ensured a large degree of self-government for individual territories.

Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French community on December 11, 1958, a major step toward full independence.

On July 11, 1960, France agreed to Upper Volta becoming fully independent, clearing the way for the declaration of independence weeks later.

Image source: History of Burkina Faso

The Republic of Upper Volta declared independence on August 5, 1960. The 1960 constitution provided for election by universal suffrage of a president and a national assembly for 5-year terms.

The government lasted until 1966 when—after much unrest including mass demonstrations and strikes by students, labor unions, and civil servants—the military intervened and deposed President Maurice Yaméogo in the 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état.

After the army had remained in power for four years, on June 14, 1970, Voltans ratified a new constitution that established a 4-year transition period toward complete civilian rule.

President Lamizana faced a major crisis in the form of the Sahel drought and was sent in 1973 to the UN and the US in order to secure aid for the stricken country.

Image source: Sangoulé Lamizana

After conflict over the 1970 constitution, a new constitution was written and approved in 1977, and Lamizana was reelected by open elections in 1978.

Colonel Zerbo established the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress as the supreme governmental authority, thus eradicating the 1977 constitution.

Lamizana's government faced problems with the country's traditionally powerful trade unions, and on November 25, 1980, Colonel Saye Zerbo overthrew President Lamizana in a bloodless coup.

Colonel Zerbo also encountered resistance from trade unions and was overthrown two years later, on November 7, 1982, by Major Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo.

The leader of the leftists, Captain Thomas Sankara, was appointed prime minister in January 1983, but was subsequently arrested amid political tensions within the government.

Image source: Thomas Sankara

Efforts to free Sankara, directed by Captain Blaise Compaoré, resulted in a military coup d'état on August 4, 1983, bringing Sankara to power as president.

On August 2, 1984, on President Sankara's initiative, the country's name was changed from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning 'land of the upright/honest people'.

Image source: Burkina Faso

On Christmas Day 1985, tensions with Mali over the mineral-rich Agacher Strip erupted in a war that lasted five days and killed about 100 people.

Image source: Agacher Strip War

On October 15, 1987, Thomas Sankara was assassinated in a coup which brought his former ally, Captain Blaise Compaoré, to power.

Image source: 1987 Burkina Faso coup d'état

As part of a much-discussed political 'opening' process, several political organizations, three of them non-Marxist, were accepted under an umbrella political organization created in June 1989 by the Popular Front.

Image source: Blaise Compaoré

On September 18, 1989, while Compaoré was returning from a two-week trip to Asia, Lengani and Zongo were accused of plotting to overthrow the Popular Front.

Image source: Popular Front (Burkina Faso)

On December 23, 1989, a presidential security detail arrested about 30 civilians and military personnel accused of plotting a coup in collaboration with the Burkinabé external opposition.

Burkina Faso adopted a new constitution on June 2, 1991, establishing the framework for multi-party democracy under Compaoré's leadership.

In 2005, Compaoré was elected to his third term as president, extending his long hold on power begun after the 1987 coup.

Image source: 2005 Burkinabé presidential election

In November 2010, President Compaoré was re-elected for a fourth straight term, despite growing opposition to his prolonged rule.

In February 2011, the death of a schoolboy provoked an uprising in the entire country, lasting through April 2011, which was coupled with a military mutiny and a strike of the magistrates.

In June 2014, Compaoré's ruling party, the 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.

Image source: 2014 Burkina Faso uprising

On October 30, 2014, the National Assembly was scheduled to debate an amendment to the constitution which would have enabled Compaoré to stand for re-election in 2015, triggering mass protests that forced him to resign.

On November 17, 2014, a civilian, Michel Kafando, was chosen to replace Zida as transitional head of state, and he was sworn in on November 18.

Image source: Michel Kafando

Kafando appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Isaac Zida as Prime Minister of Burkina Faso on November 19, 2014, completing the transitional government.

Image source: Yacouba Isaac Zida

On July 19, 2015, amidst tensions between the military and Prime Minister Zida, Kafando stripped Zida of the defense portfolio and took over the portfolio himself.

Two days after a recommendation from the National Reconciliation and Reforms Commission to disband the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP), members of the RSP detained President Kafando and Prime Minister Zida, installing the National Council for Democracy with Gilbert Diendéré as its chairman.

On October 13, 2015, it was announced that general elections would be held on November 29, 2015, restoring the path toward civilian democratic rule.

Image source: 2015 Burkinabè general election

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was sworn in as president on December 29, 2015, following the successful general elections, ending the turbulent transition period.

Image source: Roch Marc Christian Kaboré

The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018, prompting several governments to warn citizens not to travel into the northern part of the country and into several provinces in the East Region as Burkina Faso mobilized resources to counter terrorist threats.

Image source: Terrorism in Burkina Faso

On January 7, 2016, President Kaboré appointed Paul Kaba Thieba as Prime Minister of Burkina Faso.

Image source: Paul Kaba Thieba

In the 2020 general election, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré was re-elected, though insecurity continued to worsen across much of the country.

Image source: 2020 Burkinabè general election

On January 24, 2022, President Roch Kaboré was ousted in a military coup led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, driven largely by frustration over the government's failure to contain jihadist violence.

Image source: January 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état

On September 30, 2022, the second military coup of the year took place and Damiba was ousted over his inability to deal with an Islamist insurgency.

Image source: September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état

On October 6, 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traore was officially appointed as president of Burkina Faso, becoming one of the world's youngest heads of state.

Image source: Ibrahim Traoré