The family of former President Jerry John Rawlings has expressed gratitude to the government and people of Burkina Faso for the naming of a street after him, describing it as an honour not only to the family but to the people of Ghana. 

“This is a huge recognition of the legacy of a man who dedicated his life to social justice, a man who gave his life in service to the ordinary people,” the the daughter and Executive Director of the JJ Rawlings Foundation, Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings said on behalf of the family at the ceremony in Ouagadougou.

The naming of the avenue and unveiling of a plaque, which was administered by Burkina Faso’s Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Gilbert Ouedraogo, on behalf of the country’s Prime Minister, was also attended by the Mayor of Ouagadougou, Maurice Konaté, a delegation from the Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee and members of the public last Sunday.

Stretch

Spanning more than two kilometres, the avenue named after late President John Jerry Rawlings begins in the north with Avenue Jean-Paul II and ends in the south with Boulevard Capitaine Isidore Noël Thomas Sankara.

“For Jerry Rawlings, the pursuit of a just society, the pursuit of the socio-economic liberation of the ordinary African from poverty, from food insecurity, from underdevelopment and from global marginalisation was not a political ambition. It was a calling, it was a duty.

In the same vein, Thomas Sankara dedicated his life to the ideal of a self-sufficient Africa, free from the shackles of neo-colonialism.

They both envisioned an Africa where these principles would flourish — a vision still necessary today.” Ms Asantewaa Rawlings stated.

The naming of the avenue came a day after the grand inauguration of a mausoleum in Ouagadougou, housing the remains of Thomas Sankara and his 12 companions who died on

October 15, 1987, of which Mr Rawlings played a significant role in the project. He was the honorary Chair of the Sankara Memorial Committee until his passing in 2020.

Ms Agyeman-Rawlings, who was accompanied by her brother, Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, said the naming of the avenue marked a significant milestone as it served as a reminder of the values both Sankara and Rawlings stood for — values deeply rooted in the fight for justice, equality and the conscious awakening of African people.
 

Great fighter 

On his part, Mr Ouédraogo paid tribute to the memory of a great fighter for the emancipation of the continent, a voice of Pan-Africanism, a worthy son of Africa and a great friend of Captain Thomas Sankara and Burkina Faso.

"In our history, we recognise the multifaceted and selfless support that President Jerry John Rawlings once provided to Captain Thomas Isidore Noël Sankara, father of the Burkina Faso Revolution.

We cannot ignore the willingness he demonstrated in his time to uncover the truth during the investigation into the assassination of President Sankara," he declared.