Maurice Nawalagmba Yaméogo (31 December 1921 – 15 September 1993) was the first President of the Republic of Upper Volta, now called Burkina Faso. He proclaimed the independence of the country on August 5, 1960 and also tried (but failed) to create a union between Ivory Coast and Upper Volta. On January 3, 1966, he left the presidency due to a nationwide strike.
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Maurice Yaméogo in the context of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km (105,878 sq mi). In 2024, the country had an estimated population of approximately 23,286,000. Called the Republic of Upper Volta from 1958 to 1984, it was renamed Burkina Faso by president Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabes, and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established kingdoms such as Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as president. Since it gained its independence, the country has been subject to instability, droughts, famines, and corruption. There have also been various coups, in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022 (January and September). There were also unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023.
Maurice Yaméogo in the context of List of heads of state of Burkina Faso
The president of Burkina Faso (French: Président du Burkina Faso) is the head of state of Burkina Faso as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso. It is the highest office in Burkina Faso and has significant executive power, including appointing the prime minister and other government officials. The president also has the power to dissolve parliament and issue decrees.
The office was first established in August 1960 as president of Upper Volta (French: Président du Haute-Volta) after the country gained independence from France. Maurice Yaméogo was the first holder of that office. On 4 August 1984, the day before the 24th anniversary of independence, Thomas Sankara, who was the president from exactly one year earlier, became the president of Burkina Faso after the country changed its name the same day.
Maurice Yaméogo in the context of 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état
The 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état was an event which took place on 3 January 1966 in the Republic of Upper Volta (today Burkina Faso), when following large-scale popular unrest, the military intervened against the government. This forced President Maurice Yaméogo to resign, and was replaced Lieutenant Colonel Sangoulé Lamizana. Lamizana would go on to rule until 1980, when yet another military coup d'état overthrew him. The 1966 coup would prove to be the first in a long line of Upper Voltan and later Burkinabé coups, which marked the beginning of half a century of military rule.