Speech by Thomas Sankara at the First Francophone Summit in February 17, 1986.
The first Francophone Summit was held in Paris February 17-19, 1986, attended by numerous heads of state of French-speaking countries. Burkina Faso was represented by Henri Zongo, minister of economic development. The following is the message to the conference that Sankara sent, which was published in Sidawaya.
"As a result of colonialism, we have become a part of the French-speaking world, even though only 10 percent of Burkinabè speak the language. When we proclaim ourselves part of the French-speaking world, we do so with two preconditions: first, the French language is simply a means of expressing our reality. And second, like any language, French must open itself to experiencing the sociological and historical realities of its own evolution.
Initially, for us, French was the language of the colonizer, the ultimate cultural and ideological vehicle of foreign and imperialist domination. But subsequently it was with this language that we were able to master the dialectical method of analyzing imperialism, putting us in a position to organize ourselves politically to fight and win.
Today in Burkina the Burkinabè people and their political leadership, the National Council of the Revolution, no longer use the French language as a vehicle of cultural alienation, but as a means of communication with other people's.
Our presence at this conference is justified by the fact that from the point of view of the National Council of the Revolution, there are two French Languages, the French spoken by those in metropolitan France, and the French spoken on the five continents.
In order to contribute to the enrichment of this universalized French, we intend to participate in this gathering and asses how the French language brings us closer to others. That's why I wish to thank the French authorities very sincerely for this welcome initiative.
It is through the intermediary of the French language that we, with our African brothers, analyze our respective situations and seek to join efforts in common struggle.
It is through the intermediary of the French language that we shared the struggle of the Vietnamese people, and that we are reaching a better understanding of the cry of the Caledonian people.¹
It is through the French language that we discover the richness of European culture, and defend the rights of our workers who have emigrated.
It is through the intermediary of the French language that we read the great educators of the proletariat and all those who, in a utopian or scientific manner, have put their pens at the service of the class struggle.
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