ABSTRACT
Upper Volta became independent on August 5, 1960. The first president, Maurice Yameogo, was surrounded by French advisers. Widespread dissatisfaction with government corruption and the obvious enrichment of Yameogo and his cronies served as the excuse for a military coup in 1966 headed by Colonel Sangoule Lamizana. Lamizana held power for fourteen years, periodically allowing limited political activity and then clamping down when he deemed things to be getting out of hand. Notably, in a country with almost no industry or industrial workers, labor unions headed by French-educated left-wing intellectuals were the most active of Lamizana’s opponents. In fact, the overwhelming majority of union members were civil servants.
