Servant of the People in Kyiv

"Now that we're not with Sankara, he'll certainly be deceived by Ouedraogo. Sankara might even be unaware of what Ouedraogo did tonight. I think we should find Sankara immediately and tell him what Ouedraogo has done, letting him know that Ouedraogo is trying to mess up the country. Then, bring Sankara back to take charge and stabilize the people's hearts. Now Ouedraogo has publicly accused us in an editorial of forgetting our original aspirations and abandoning our ideals. The people of this country no longer trust us, and they will only listen to Sankara!"

Lingani nodded and asked, "You are the president's most trusted brother, so go in person."

"It can't be like this! You have to stabilize the situation in Ouagadougou and must not clash with the people. If you end up on the opposite side, it will be troublesome!"

Compaore nodded and ordered, "Come here, prepare the car."

……

On the morning of October 9, Sankara got up early and asked someone to notify Haniyev and his party.

At around 8 o'clock, Sankara's convoy set out from the Central and Western Regional Command in Kuudougou and went to several large cotton plantations around the provincial capital to investigate and survey the region's agricultural pillar industries.

When Sankara and his party went deep into the fields of Kudugu, another round of parades began.

At about 8:40, Compaore's convoy arrived at the Koudougou military region.

After learning that Sankara and his party had left, he turned around and got into the car without saying a word and ordered them to chase them.

Unfortunately, Compaore was destined not to catch up with Sankara.

After visiting three cotton plantations, Sankara's convoy headed directly north until it entered Sankara's hometown, Yaco City, Pasore Province, Northern Region, around five o'clock in the afternoon.

Because the two biggest embezzlers had been publicly tried last night, and without any programmatic guidance, today's movement was milder than last night's. It was just a march and a rally, and the masses only condemned the corruption and reactionaries in the government.

Judging from the momentum, if Compaore and local governments take a cold approach to this, the movement will be quelled soon.

However, Sankara and Haniyev will not let Compaore and others get what they want.

After moving into the provincial government, Sankara first appeased the frightened leaders of the region and Pasore Province, and then met with several leaders who led the movement in Yaco City last night. After the conversation, he praised the young secretary of the Yaco City Revolutionary Defense Committee, San Uto Gun, and called him "Burkina Faso's Little Che Guevara."

Due to Sankara's success and Che Guevara's revolutionary exports in Africa, the working people of Burkina Faso regard Che Guevara as a revolutionary mentor. If portraits of mentors are hung in Burkina Faso, the order must be Marx - Che Guevara - Sankara.

You have to know that after the success of Sankara's revolution, he was called "Africa's Che Guevara". Now Sankara personally elevated Gun, the 24-year-old secretary of the Yaco Municipal Revolutionary Defense Committee, to the level of a little Che Guevara. That honor was extraordinary and almost determined Gun's political future.

As long as Sankara is in power, Gunn can go straight to the central government of Burkina Faso with the honorary title of "Little Che Guevara".

The inexplicably grateful Sanwutu Gun hugged Sankara's thighs with tears in his eyes. Haniyev was also very moved watching from the side. A man will die for his friend. If a noble person who changes your life appears, the gratitude is really beyond words.

After a few gentle words of comfort, Sankara said, “Guen, I have high hopes for you.

The revolution in Burkina Faso was not successful and thorough enough, resulting in many corrupt, incompetent, mediocre and traitorous officials from the previous government infiltrating the revolutionary ranks. Now they have joined forces with hostile forces abroad, such as France, to corrupt and win over our revolutionary fighters. Many of them have become counter-revolutionary traitors because of their unsteady political ideals.

Burkina Faso is currently facing a critical moment of life and death. Reactionaries and traitors are colluding to overthrow the country's regime and once again trample upon the people. Gun, can you agree to this?"

Gunn's eyes were already red, and they turned even redder when he heard this. He said, his neck flushed red, "If you don't agree, we will kill anyone who dares to be a reactionary!"

Sankara nodded with a smile, and Haniyev also nodded with satisfaction. Young cadres like Gun who are loyal to the proletarian revolution and admire Sankara are the backbone needed by the great revolution. Whether this great revolution can completely eradicate the counter-revolution depends on young people like Gun.

Sankara smiled faintly and said, "Very good. Now I have an important task for you. The Committee for the Defence of the Revolution is a grassroots organization nationwide. It has no leadership. Now the people's movement across the country must rely on the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution to advance. In order to better command the movement, I hope you will come forward to connect with the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution nationwide, summon all the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution to absorb fresh blood from the bitter hatred, and then go to Ouagadougou together to petition and expose the reactionaries and counter-revolutionaries in the Party and the country. I no longer trust the people in the Party and the government, so this task can only be handed over to you..."

How is it? Do you have confidence? "

Gunn's dark face still glowed red. He said, "I am willing. I promise to complete the task!"

After Gunn and his group retreated, Sankara asked, "Mr. Haniyev, if we hold on for just one more day, the various regional Revolutionary Defense Committees should be almost integrated with the masses, and the Great Revolution should be ready to begin its second phase, right?"

Haniyev pursed his lips. "Yesterday and today, Compaore and other central leaders, as well as officials from the regions and provinces, have been desperately looking for you. The Revolutionary Defense Committees of the cities and counties, and the people's movement since yesterday, are just full of enthusiasm, lacking leadership and a platform. If we wait any longer, they'll probably lose their momentum. It's time you spoke up."

Sankara knew that Haniyev's "few words" meant that he should stand up for the revolution and openly launch a struggle against Compaore and his men. He felt that the time had indeed come, so he said in a deep voice, "Okay, I'll speak right away. It will be recorded on the Yaco radio and television station, and then distributed nationwide so that people everywhere can see and hear it and know that the revolutionary charge has been sounded!"

After finalizing the plan, Sankara began to work on his speech, while Haniyev went to the cafeteria to eat.

Not long after, Sankara sent someone to invite Haniyev over again.

As he approached the office, Haniyev saw Sankara holding a manuscript and said, "Mr. Haniyev, please help me take a look at this speech. Is there anything that needs to be revised?"

After Sankara's translator explained the meaning, Haniyev took the manuscript, which was all in French. The translator stood beside him and interpreted it sentence by sentence.

After the translator finished reading in Russian, Haniyev nodded and gave a thumbs-up. "Your Excellency, President, you wrote very well. It's emotionally rich and factual, and it also points out the direction for the national struggle. I don't think there's anything I can criticize about the content, but could you please change the title of your article?"

"Any questions?"

Sankara took the manuscript back and looked at the title he had written: "Exterminate the reactionaries and continue the revolution!"

“What’s wrong with this title?”

"The title is fine, but the target isn't clear enough. At this point, the National Committee for the Defense of the Revolution and the people don't know who the biggest counter-revolutionary leader in Burkina Faso is. You should clearly state the theme. Don't. That way, the title and content will resonate. After all, Burkina Faso's education is just getting started, and there are still many illiterate people. I'm afraid not many people will know your content. But a title is like a slogan; it spreads better, so it must clearly state the theme."

Sankara nodded thoughtfully and asked, "What do you think is a good name?"

Haniyev pretended to think for a long time and said, "How about calling it 'Bombard the Headquarters - Rooting out the Biggest Counter-Revolutionary Cancer'?"

Sankara clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Okay, that's a good idea. We need to bombard the headquarters because the biggest cancer is hidden in it."

Starting from the early morning of October 9, the Revolutionary Defense Committees in most provinces, cities and counties across the country continued to gather the people for marches and propaganda activities in accordance with the central government's instructions yesterday, mobilizing the people across the country to criticize and oppose the corrupt elements, reactionaries, pseudo-revolutionaries and other figures and phenomena that emerged due to the incomplete domestic revolution. Some areas even directly and openly demanded the punishment of those officials who had already been dissatisfied with the people and had a bad record.

Although today's movement still covers more than 90% of Burkina Faso's cities, it is much milder than last night.

The people of Lingani in the capital and Compaore in the Central and Western Region were also very happy after learning about the reaction to today's movement. They felt that after the two corrupt officials were handed over last night, the people's resentment had dissipated. Even if Sankara did not speak out to appease the people, the civil unrest caused by the commemoration of Che Guevara would soon disappear.

It was precisely because of this understanding that after discovering that Sankara had left the Central and Western Region and entered the Northern Region, leaving him behind, Compaore decided not to chase him but to return to the capital, Ouagadougou.

In the early morning of October 10, the National Communications and Radio Television broadcast a speech by President Thomas Sankara simultaneously on television and radio.

Sankara on TV was wearing a military uniform and a beret. He looked ahead solemnly and spoke in a serious tone.

During the broadcast, Sankara's voice was passionate and emotional, and every citizen was excited after listening to it.

"Comrades, my name is Thomas Sankara.

I know what happened yesterday and today. I was very angry after understanding the situation. I didn't expect that Burkina Faso had bred so many counter-revolutionary tumors without anyone noticing. They were quietly sucking blood from the Party, the government and the people, growing their strength, so that one day they would mature and swallow up the people of Burkina Faso in one bite.

Because of this incident, I also wrote an article today. I'd like to read it to you. It's called "Bombarding the Headquarters - Rooting out the Biggest Counter-Revolutionary Cancer":

Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the death of Comrade Che Guevara. It was Marxism and Che Guevara's spirit that led our revolution to success. At this time, Comrade Ouedraogo published an article entitled "On the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Comrade Che Guevara": A Talk on the Incompleteness of the Burkina Faso Revolution, which resonated with people across the country. People took to the streets, surrounded the government, and criticized the ugly phenomena described in the article. This is very good, and I applauded when I learned about it.

Later, with the concerted efforts of the comrades of the Revolutionary Defense Committee of the capital, students, young cadres and the masses, we were finally forced to force certain central leaders to hand over Odesan and Odessan, the two biggest embezzlers since the founding of the People's Republic of China. They received a fair trial by the people in front of the National Assembly. This is very good. Fake revolutionaries and reactionaries must lose their heads. If I, Sankara, become a counter-revolutionary and corrupt, I hope that the people of the whole country will come and cut off my head.

I believe that yesterday's movement was a good opportunity for our government and country to purify itself. However, certain leading comrades from the central government to the local governments obstructed the movement in every possible way, and even sent police and troops to drive it away or even suppress it. What kind of behavior is this? It is a counter-revolutionary behavior!

Not allowing the masses to speak out is not a proletarian revolutionary regime. I'm very glad that this bunch of counter-revolutionary cancer didn't dare to beat the masses or shoot, otherwise their lives would have been in danger...

Through the performance of certain central leaders last night and today, I have come to realize that the root cause of the incompleteness of the revolution lies in the infiltration of fake revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries into the top echelons of the country.

Pseudo-revolutionaries are those who wave the banner of revolution but do nothing. Some of them are former comprador government officials. We have shown mercy and allowed them to continue working in the government, but they are ungrateful and continue to refuse to revolt or learn. Some even use the guise of revolution to undermine the very foundations of the revolution.

There is another kind of counter-revolutionary who is even more hateful. On the surface, they are revolutionary heroes and people who have made outstanding contributions to the revolutionary cause. However, after the success of the revolution, they no longer have the ambition to make progress, but begin to indulge in enjoyment. Their lives and thoughts quickly become corrupt, and they even get involved with our enemy France. They gradually identify with the ways of capitalist countries such as France, Britain and the United States, and want to ride on the heads of the people and act tyrannically, and want to enjoy wealth and glory for generations. So they begin to do counter-revolutionary things silently.

These counter-revolutionaries are extremely dangerous. They hold high positions and are leaders of the country. They collude with the French both internally and externally, secretly plotting and scheming, hoping to one day overthrow the revolution and turn Burkina Faso into the Upper Volta of the past, thereby achieving their ulterior motive of exploiting the people and enjoying generations of prosperity...

Since our country has seen the emergence of a reactionary group composed of pseudo-revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries, we cannot sit idly by and watch our great red regime deteriorate. We cannot allow the French to return and exploit us. Therefore, we must carry out our unfinished work, continue the revolution, and make it a thorough revolution.

If we want to continue the revolution, to revolutionize it thoroughly, we must first expose the poisonous counter-revolutionaries who have usurped high positions and are hiding in the headquarters, putting on a show. Let the world see their true colors and true faces, criticize them thoroughly, and let the people and future generations know the true nature of these poisonous counter-revolutionaries and pseudo-revolutionaries...

Comrades, I have said before that we in Burkina Faso have seven million Thomas Sankaras, and now we have one million more. As the President of Burkina Faso, I ask all Thomas Sankaras to carry on the legacy of Che Guevara, unite, and carry the revolution through to the end!

Chapter 130 Revolution requires bloodshed and sacrifice

As the president of Burkina Faso, Sankara was the commander of the paratrooper commandos before the coup. At that time, he became a socialist believer and Marxist. His speaking ability was very good at that time, and he persuaded many paratrooper commandos to join his organization.

After becoming president, Sankara had more opportunities to give speeches, many of which were very wonderful, but his television speech this time seemed more attentive and serious.

Sankara's speech was insightful and emotional, and every word came from his heart. Because of its incomparable truthfulness, it was able to move the people even more.

So after watching on TV or listening to the radio, countless Burkina Faso people were moved by President Sankara's speech. They were excited and repeated Sankara's last words: "Continue the revolution, a thorough revolution!"

The Committee for the Defense of the Revolution, which had received instructions long ago, stood up at this time and waved their hands, saying, "President Sankara has already issued instructions. The biggest counter-revolutionary in the country is hiding in the central government and the capital headquarters. It is Compaore who is protecting Odessan and Odessan!"

"That's right. The woman Compaoré married is the granddaughter of Henri Terrasson de Fougeres, the French Governor-General of Mali, and the goddaughter of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the President of Côte d'Ivoire. He abandoned his fiancée in his native country and married the daughter of a capitalist family. This is a manifestation of counter-revolution!"

"Continue the revolution, carry it through to the end, and overthrow the poisonous counter-revolutionary tumor Compaoré!"

"Carry the revolution through to the end and overthrow the counter-revolutionary Compaoré!"

……

The same thing was happening in the streets and squares of various provinces and cities in Burkina Faso, especially in the capital, Ouagadougou. Countless university students and young cadres of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution labeled Compaore as the biggest cancer of the counter-revolution, Lingani as the second cancer of the counter-revolution, and then there were more than a dozen cancers of various sizes.

Then these people shouted slogans and rushed towards the Congress and the Presidential Palace, but halfway they were told that Compaore and Lingani were at the military district headquarters, so they rushed towards the headquarters.

……

After Sankara's speech was broadcast, Minister of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Baptiste Lingani, who had just fallen asleep in the morning because of what happened the previous night, was suddenly awakened by Sankara's voice coming from the loudspeaker in the capital military region.

Lingani sat up with a start and shouted, "Someone, where is the president speaking?"

His guards came in and said, "Your Excellency, the President is making a televised address."

"Turn on the TV!"

The black and white TV in his bedroom was turned on, and Sankara's voice and appearance appeared on the screen. After listening to a few words, Lingani felt his face hot and his whole body itchy. After Sankara finished speaking, he kicked the TV down with one foot, and a loud noise came out of the room.

"Peng!"

The door was pushed open again, and Compaore walked in with a grim expression.

"Old man, we have been deceived. It is Sankara who is behind all this. He is going to do something to us!"

Lingani glared and said, "What should we do? Launch a coup immediately!"

Compaore smiled bitterly and said, "How can this be a coup? Sankara is far away in Yaco, the northern region, his hometown. We have two corps under our complete control, one on the Mali border and the other in the capital. Sending troops to attack Yaco and capture Sankara isn't a coup, it's a civil war. Do you think we can succeed? Is it realistic?"

Lingani gritted his teeth and said, "I am the Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces and Commander of the Fourth Military Region, and you are the Commander of the Capital Military Region. We can control two corps from two military regions, and they are all elite soldiers. If we really start a civil war, we may have a chance of winning!"

The Burkina Faso National Armed Forces have a total of more than 6,000 people, with a total of five military regions, each with a corps. The corps controlled by Lingani is on the border between Burkina Faso and Mali, and the corps controlled by Compaoré in the Fifth Military Region, also known as the Capital Military Region, is in the capital Ouagadougou. The two men completely control an army of 2,600 ground forces, 300 air forces, four tanks and two transport planes.

However, if a coup is not launched quickly to physically destroy Sankara, given Sankara's prestige in Burkina Faso, Compaoré has no confidence that he can still fully control the two corps and the Air Force if a civil war is really started. Especially the Air Force, which is a team trained by Sankara himself and its loyalty to the president is fully guaranteed.

"On paper, we control half of the country's military. However, if we really start a civil war, we will become the counter-revolutionaries Sankara calls us traitors. The people of the country will spurn us, and we will lose everyone's support. The army's morale will be low and its combat effectiveness will be low. Besides, Sankara is the president and can command the provinces and departments to support him. Unless we can quickly break through Yako and capture him, we will have no chance of winning if we really start a civil war!"

Compaore calculated for a moment, sighed and shook his head.

"Are we just going to surrender like this? Sankara's speech is directed at you and me. If we don't take action now, we will have no chance!"

Lingani asked anxiously, "Have you forgotten the coup plan that Uedraogo and Sankara had discussed against you? If we don't take action, Sankara will take action against us sooner or later."

Compaore finally steeled his resolve and nodded. "Alright, we'll launch a coup immediately. As the Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces, you will immediately order martial law throughout the country. Then, recall your Fourth Legion. We will personally lead the two corps and attack Yaco as quickly as possible!"

Lingani stood up and shouted, "Come here, pass on my orders..."

Several military secretaries rushed in hurriedly.

"Commander-in-Chief, something bad has happened!"

"What happened?"

"Citizens and students of the capital suddenly appeared and surrounded the headquarters, shouting that they wanted to overthrow you and Minister Compaore."

"what!"

Lingani was furious. He stood up, drew the pistol from his waist, and said, "They are rebelling. Pass my order, send out the troops and arrest them all!"

……

The capital headquarters is located in the eastern suburbs of Ouagadougou. On normal days, there are not many pedestrians here, but today the front and back doors are blocked by 40,000 to 50,000 citizens.

They gathered together, led by the Revolutionary Defense Committee and some young cadres and student representatives, clenched their fists and shouted loudly: "Down with the great counter-revolutionary cancer, Compaore, down with the second counter-revolutionary cancer, Lingani, and carry the revolution through to the end!"

The soldiers of the Capital Military Region in the barracks also heard yesterday's broadcast and today's presidential speech. The series of changes made them panic and at a loss. When they heard the thunderous sounds outside the courtyard wall, the soldiers who were already in a panic were even more at a loss.

Soon the orders from Compaore and Lingani were conveyed. When the officers and soldiers of the Capital Corps learned that their leader wanted them to go out and arrest the civilians and students who were besieging the headquarters, they looked at each other in confusion.

Transportation in Burkina Faso is not very convenient, so the troops of the five major military regions all come from the cities where the military regions are located or surrounding cities.

Ninety percent of the 1,400 soldiers in the Capital Military District are farmers or poor citizens from the suburbs of the capital. Their relatives, friends, and even family members are surrounding the headquarters outside the walls. No one is willing to take action against their own fellow countrymen.

Although Burkina Faso is a socialist country founded by Marxists, Sankara did not experience bloodshed when he seized power. In addition, this is an African service area, so the quality of Burkina Faso's soldiers cannot be compared with those of soldiers from other socialist countries.

It is already difficult for soldiers in Burkina Faso to obey orders, and it is even less likely that they will have a high level of awareness and fighting spirit. Now Compaore and Lingani's orders are for them to point their fists and guns at their relatives, friends and neighbors, and no soldier is willing to obey.

Therefore, even though Lingani and Compaore's orders were issued several times in succession, the entire capital military region only gathered three or four hundred people, and the remaining soldiers still stayed in the barracks without moving.

Compaore and Lingani's faces changed when they learned about it. They looked at each other and saw the panic and anger on each other's faces.

"Pass on my order again. Anyone who dares to disobey the military order will be executed on the spot!"

Compaore tensed and roared.

But before his personal guards could go out and pass on the order, he and Lingani heard overwhelming shouts from outside, and some faint slogans: "Down with Compaore! Down with Lingani!"

A personal guard pushed the door open and said in horror: "The people pushed down the gate and rushed into the barracks!"

"what!"

Lingani and Compaore collapsed on the sofa upon hearing this. They both remembered Odessan and Odesan who were publicly tried and beaten to death by tens of thousands of people last night.