Rawlings family expresses gratitude after Burkina Faso names street after former Ghanaian President

The family of late former President Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings has expressed appreciation to the government and people of Burkina Faso for naming a street in Ouagadougou in his honour. The recognition was described as “an honour not only to the family, but to the people of Ghana.”

The statement was delivered by Ms Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, Executive Director of the JJ Rawlings Foundation, during a ceremony in the Burkinabe capital on Sunday, May 18. “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,” she said.

Ms Agyeman-Rawlings noted that the former President’s mission was rooted in the pursuit of justice and socio-economic liberation. “For Jerry Rawlings, the pursuit of a just society…was not a political ambition. It was a calling, it was a duty,” she stated, adding that Thomas Sankara, to whom Rawlings was a close ally, shared a similar vision of a self-sufficient Africa free from neo-colonialism.

The naming of the street came a day after the official inauguration of a mausoleum in honour of Thomas Sankara and twelve of his comrades who died in 1987. Flt Lt Rawlings served as the honorary Chair of the Sankara Memorial Committee until his passing in 2020.

Ms Agyeman-Rawlings, accompanied by her brother Kimathi Agyeman-Rawlings, highlighted the shared legacy of Rawlings and Sankara, grounded in “justice, equality and the conscious awakening of African people.” She also recalled her father’s remarks at the launch of the Sankara Memorial Project in 2016, where he declared: “The journey of emancipation must continue…we must fight a new political battle against neo-colonialism.”

The plaque unveiling was performed by Burkina Faso’s Minister for Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Mr Gilbert Ouedraogo, on behalf of the country’s Prime Minister. In his tribute, the Minister praised Rawlings as “a great fighter for the emancipation of our continent, a voice of Pan-Africanism, a worthy son of Africa, and a great friend of Captain Thomas Sankara and Burkina Faso.”

Mr Ouedraogo further acknowledged Rawlings’ support to Sankara and his commitment to uncovering the truth behind his assassination. He remarked that naming the avenue was “an invitation to consolidate everything that unites our two peoples” and inspire current and future generations in the pursuit of African unity.

The newly named avenue stretches more than two kilometres, beginning at Avenue Jean-Paul II in the north and ending at Boulevard Capitaine Isidore Noël Thomas Sankara in the south.

A high-powered delegation from Ghana, representing President John Dramani Mahama, attended the inauguration. It included Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korle, Defence Minister Edward Omane Boamah, Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, and other senior officials.