Thomas Sankara who was killed by his own best friend was one of Africa’s most important anti-imperialist leaders of the late 20th Century - Courtesy

After a 35-year of wait, the military court in Burkina Faso has found Ex-President, Blaise Compaoré guilty of Thomas Sankara’s murder.

Blaise Compaoré was found guilty of the assassination of Sankara in the 1987 d’état alongside six convicts.

Compaoré, then second in command, and a best friend of Sankara was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia by the court after a six-month trial.

Two other convicts were also sent to life imprisonment. The two are Gilbert Diendéré, and Hyacinthe Kafando, leader of Compaoré’s guards at the time.

Following the announcement of the verdict, Sankara’s widow, Mariam Sankara had these few words.

“I think Burkinabe knows now who Thomas Sankara was… what he wanted and what those who assassinated him wanted too,” said Sankara’s widow, Mariam Sankara, at the court.”

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing Sankara’s family, Guy Herve said he was proud of justice being served for Sankara.

“Today I am very proud to see the culmination of a legal battle of almost 30 years, proud to have a country where justice works,” said Guy Herve Kam, a lawyer for Sankara’s  family.”

Thomas Sankara, who was he?

Captain Thomas Sankara was the president of Burkina Faso between 1983 to 1987. He was murdered by his close friend, Blaise Compaore in the 1987 d’état with 12 other people.

Sankara was just 37 years old when he died at the hand of his best friend and comrade-in-arms after four years as president.

The duo had jointly seized power in 1983.

Sankara was killed for his ideas of wanting to liberate his people from poverty, diseases, and slavery.

Sankara renamed his country from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso, meaning “the land of the upright”.

By the time he became the president, Burkina Faso was poverty-stricken, only 10% of people were literate, and infant mortality was very high.

Sankara was the first African leader to promote women’s rights and campaigned against deforestation.

Sankara rolled out mass vaccination against polio, banned female circumcision, and polygamy, and was one of the first African leaders to publicly recognize the growing AIDS epidemic as a threat to the continent.

At the time of his death, Sankara’s salary is said to have been 450 united states dollars. His most valuable possessions are said to have been a car, four bicycles, three guitars, and a fridge.

What about Blaise Compaore, who was he?

Blaise Compaore was the Ex-president of Burkina Faso. He assumed power and presidency after assassinating his best friend and comrade-in-arms Sankara in the 1987 d’état.

The pair had jointly seized power in 1983.

Compaoré went on to rule Burkina Faso for 27 years. He was removed from power in the 2014 uprising, and fled to Ivory Coast where he was given citizenship.

He was tried in absentia, alongside Kafando, unlike Diendéré who is in custody.

On Wednesday, justice for Sankara was achieved after a military court found Compaore guilty of murdering Sankara. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia

This comes, after a 35 year of wait, since the death of Sankara on August 15, 1987

Two of Compaore’s former top associates, Hyacinthe Kafando and Gilbert Diendere, were also sentenced to life imprisonment.

All three have previously denied involvement in Sankara’s death along with eleven other defendants accused of involvement in the plot. Three of the eleven were declared innocent and the rest received prison terms of between three and 20 years.

Compaore was found guilty of an attack on state security, complicity in murder, and concealment of a corpse, the tribunal said in its ruling.