Six years after heading into exile, the shadow of former president Blaise Compaore still lingers in Burkina Faso as the country heads to the polls on November 22nd.
The Burkinabe president, seeking a second term in office after Sunday's vote, will have to defend his five years at the head of state, that has been much criticized after five years of rising insecurity in the country.
The president of the Union for Progress and Change (UPC), Burkina Faso's main opposition party, Zephirin Diabré, and former Prime Minister Isaac Zida, filed their candidacies for the November 22 presidential election with the National Electoral Commission (Ceni) on Friday.
Born in a privileged family, Thomas Sankara had a decent childhood with basic needs and formal education. During his years in primary school, he was a hardworking student with a keen interest in French and Math subjects. He grew up in a religious family that attended the Catholic Church regularly.
