As African countries are increasingly divided following the recent coup in Niger, watch this speech by pan-African leader Thomas Sankara 40 years ago criticizing the way that Western media aims to divide Africans.
Sankara, President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987, argued that the imperialist attacks had two phases a nonviolent phase followed by a violent one. The nonviolent phase will seek to discredit countries that oppose imperialism before eventually launching violent attacks to overthrow anyone who dares to oppose them. He said it was vital to oppose these "attacks" on what was then Upper Volta.
Sankara's words have a tragic resonance as he became a victim of imperialism. He was murdered during a coup widely believed to have been backed by France which overthrew his government in 1987. Africa hasn't seen an inspirational anti-imperialist socialist like him since that tragic day.
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