Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traore on Wednesday, August 5, urged citizens to deepen their commitment to building a “truly free, independent and sovereign” nation as the country marked the 66th anniversary of its independence.
In a national address, Traore paid tribute to the country’s founding generation, members of the armed forces and historical figures who resisted neocolonialism, saying their sacrifices should inspire efforts to achieve genuine independence.
He said the hopes that accompanied Burkina Faso’s independence had been undermined by persistent external domination, which had fuelled poverty and insecurity.
Traore also praised the defence and security forces for their efforts to restore control over national territory and called on Burkinabe to embrace the ideals of the Progressive Popular Revolution to drive self-reliant development and build a strong, prosperous nation.