Rawlings unveils Thomas Sankara's statue

The "father of the revolution" who was assassinated in a coup d‘état after four years in power in 1987, has become an icon of pan-Africanism, still celebrated by the continent's youth.

Hundreds of people, including Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, as well as government officials attended the ceremony, followed by a procession to the "Burkina" building in front of which President Sankara was killed.

Rawlings laid wreaths in front of the building where great portraits of Thomas Sankara and his twelve companions were hung.

Burkinabe leader Thomas Sankara's statue unveiled Pulse Ghana

He said "We have emotions on this site but we need to capitalize on these emotions to move forward. Those who fell here remind us that we are fighting for freedom and justice."

Sankara was murdered on October 15, 1987, together with 12 of his officials in a coup d’etat staged by his once an upon a time friend, Blaise Compare, who later became President of Burkina Faso.

Thomas Sankara and his twelve comrades were killed by a commando on 15 October 1987 during the coup that brought his comrade-in-arms Blaise Compaoré to power.

The latter, suspected of having participated in the plot by many Burkinabè, was overthrown upon his return during a popular uprising on 31 October 2014.