On September 30, 2022, Captain Ibrahim Traore led a military coup in Burkina Faso, overthrowing the government of Paul-Henry Sandaogo Damiba. On October 21, 2022, Traore was sworn in as transitional president and head of state of Burkina Faso. He was also appointed supreme chief of … Read MoreIbrahim Traore (1988-)
Paul-Henry Sandaogo Damiba heads the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration; the current governing council of Burkina Faso installed after the coup of January 24, 2022, overthrew the government of Roch Marc Christian Kabore. Damiba was born in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in … Read MorePaul-Henry Sandaogo Damiba (1981- )
Diébédo Francis Kéré is a Burkinabe architect internationally known for his innovative, often sustainable, and collaborative work. He is the first African to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture. Kéré was born on April 10, 1965, in … Read MoreDiébédo Francis Kéré (1965- )
Maurice Yaméogo was the first President of the west African nation of Upper Volta, today known as Burkina Faso. He was born in the town of Koudougou, Upper Volta (then a French colony) on December 31, 1921. He had a twin sister, Wamanegbo. His parents … Read MoreMaurice Yaméogo (1921-1993)
Ousmane Zongo was a 43-year-old arts trader from Burkina Faso who was shot and killed by a New York City police officer during a raid on a warehouse in 2003. His death drew parallels to another controversial police shooting, the killing of Amadou Diallo in … Read MoreOusmane Zongo (c. 1960-2003)
James Richardson Bacote was an artist, preservationist, historian and co-founder of the Geechee Kunda Cultural Center in Georgia. Bacote was born on December 18, 1948 in Brunswick, Georgia, to Sally and James Bacote Sr. He attended local schools on the Georgia Coast, as well as … Read MoreJames R. Bacote II (1948-2018)
Sundiata (Sunjata) Keita was a West African political leader who would become the founder and first ruler of the Mali Empire in medieval West Africa. He founded the empire circa 1235 CE and ruled until his death in circa 1255 CE. The Mali empire was prosperous under his rule. Sundiata … Read MoreSundiata Keita (1210?-1255?)
First Ivorian Civil War was a five-year conflict that occurred in the west African country of the Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d’Ivoire) between 2002 and 2007. The main belligerents of the conflict were the central government of the Ivory Coast, led by President Laurent … Read MoreFirst Ivorian Civil War (2002-2007)
The Sierra Leone Civil War was an armed conflict in the West African country of Sierra Leone from 1991 t0 2002. The war began on March 23, 1991, when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under Foday Sankoh, with support of Liberian rebel leader Charles Taylor … Read MoreThe Sierra Leone Civil War (1991-2002)
“Image Ownership: Studios Harcourt” Clothing entrepreneur Malamine Koné, was born in Mali on December 21, 1971, but now lives near Paris, France. He is most famous for creating the sport-clothing brand Airness in 1999. Fifteen years later, the clothing line is one of the most … Read MoreMalamine Koné (1971– )
