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From independence from French colonialism in 1960 to a series of coups d’état in the 1980s to a popular insurrection in 2014, Burkina Faso has followed a tumultuous path to democracy. Below is a timeline of events prepared by BBC News. (To view the full timeline, click here.)
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1896 |
Kingdoms now making up Burkina Faso become a French protectorate. |
1919 |
Upper Volta becomes separate constituent territory of French West Africa. |
1958 |
Upper Volta becomes autonomous republic within the French Community. |
1960 |
Upper Volta becomes independent with Maurice Yameogo as president. |
1966 |
Yameogo toppled in a military coup led by Sangoule Lamizana following unrest over a government austerity programme. |
1970 |
New constitution approved in a national referendum allows Lamizana to remain in power until 1975, when he was due to be replaced by an elected president; Gerard Ouedraogo appointed prime minister. |
1974 |
President Lamizana re-asserts authority by ousting Prime Minister Ouedraogo and dissolving parliament. |
1977 |
New multi-party constitution promulgated, allowing President Lamizana to remain in office. He wins 1978 presidential election. |
1980 |
President Lamizana is ousted in coup led by Saye Zerbo. |
1982 |
Saye Zerbo is overthrown in a coup led by Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo following industrial unrest. |
1983 |
Capt Thomas Sankara takes power from Mr Ouedraogo in an internal power struggle. He adopts radical left-wing policies. |

1984 |
Upper Volta renamed Burkina Faso. |
1987 |
Thomas Sankara ousted and killed in a coup led by his close aide, Blaise Compaoré. |
1990 |
Compaoré introduces limited democratic reforms. |
1991 |
Compaoré re-elected without opposition under a new constitution. |
1992 |
Compaoré’s Organisation for Popular Democracy-Labour Movement wins a majority of seats in the first multi-party parliamentary elections since 1978. |
1998 |
Compaoré wins presidential election by a landslide. |
1999 |
June – General strike over economic grievances and alleged human rights violations. |
1999 |
August – State-owned mining company Soremib announces the closure of the country’s biggest gold mine. |

2000 |
December – Government agrees to set up UN-run body to monitor weapons imports after allegations that it has been involved in smuggling arms to rebels in Sierra Leone and Angola. |
2004 |
April – Military tribunal tries 13 people accused of plotting coup against President Compaoré in October 2003. Army captain Luther Ouali jailed for 10 years for masterminding plot. |
2005 |
November – President Compaoré wins a third straight term in office. |
2006 |
December – Burkina Faso postpones a regional economic summit after deadly gun battles between police and soldiers in the capital. |
2007 |
May – The ruling party wins a majority in parliamentary polls. |
2008 |
April – Two-day general strike follows weeks of protests about high living costs and call for wage increases. |
2009 |
April – Parliament passes a law requiring at least 30% of candidates put forward for election by political parties to be women. |
2010 |
July – France, US issue travel warnings, citing the possibility of kidnappings by al-Qaeda operatives. |
2010 |
November – Gold mine officially opened. Premier Tertius Zongo says it will earn substantial revenue for the country. |
2010 |
November – Presidential elections. President Compaoré gains another term in office. |

2011 |
March – Weeks of violent protests follow the death of a student in police custody. |
2011 |
April – Soldiers, presidential guards mutiny over unpaid allowances. Thousands of people protest over food prices. |
2011 |
July – Seven people are killed when government forces suppress mutiny in Burkina Faso’s second city, Bobo Dioulasso. |
2012 |
January – President Compaoré sacks head of Burkina Faso’s customs service, Ousmane Guiro, following the seizure of nearly $4m in two large suitcases traced by police to Mr Guiro. |
2012 |
November – President Compaoré mediates talks to resolve the crisis in Mali, where Islamists have taken control of the north. |
2013 |
April – International Court of Justice in The Hague settles a decades-old border dispute between Niger and Burkina Faso. |
2013 |
July – Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets over plans to create a Senate. Opposition leaders say the move will allow President Compaoré to extend his rule. |
2014 |
January – Demonstrators across the country oppose possible plans by President Compaoré to prolong his rule. |
2014 |
January – Defectors from the ruling party found a new political movement to challenge the president. |
2014 |
October – More mass protests against proposed constitutional changes to allow the president another five years in power turn into a mass uprising that drives President Compaoré from office. |

2014 |
October – Military takes charge in move condemned by opposition, civil society groups, United States and African Union. |
2014 |
November – Agreement reached on a framework for a transitional government to run the country until elections proposed for the end of next year. Political and military leaders choose former Foreign Minister Michel Kafando as interim president. |
2015 |
April – Romanian security officer at a mine in the north is kidnapped. Islamist militants later claim to be holding him. |
2015 |
April – Interim parliament bars politicians allied to deposed president Blaise Compaoré from running in the presidential and general elections planned for later in the year. |
2015 |
May – Work starts on exhuming what is believed to be the body of former leader Thomas Sankara ahead of DNA tests to determine the identity and cause of his death. |
2015 |
September – Acting President Kafando faces down coup attempt by presidential guard allies of Blaise Compaoré. |
2015 |
November – Former prime minister Roch Marc Christian Kabore wins presidential election, comfortably beating former Economy and Finance Minister Zephirin Diabre. |
2016 |
January – Islamist militants attack a hotel and cafe in the capital, Ouagadougou, killing 29 people, many of them foreigners. |
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