1990-2000
The Last 10 Years of Sankara Part 1: Education, Environment, and Healthcare
The last decade of the 20th Century would also be the end of an era for Mali. Thomas Sankara for all his triumphs, bringing democracy and equality to Mali found himself heavily chastised by everyone. Social Conservatives said he had gone too far too soon, Radicals claimed he hadn’t gone far enough, and the Federal Councils grew increasingly tired of him. Many high members of the Council came to Sankara and informed him, the council would most likely grant him a final term, but by 2000 he would have to retire. So, Sankara in his final decade would begin his last major reforms, Education, Environment, and Healthcare.
Militarily, Sankara would avoid most major entanglements. With the government declaring neutrality in the 1st and 2nd Congo Wars, instead preferring to make money instead of fighting wars. With the larger cooperatives firmly pressuring government non-interventionism.
Mali would still participate in some conflicts, mainly the Gulf War, Mali would send about 1,000 Malian soldiers as part of the multi national coalition to boot Iraq from Kuwait. This earned Mali international praise and brought it more into the western cultural and economic sphere. This would be more important to Mali as the fall of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia would shake Mali to its core. Once again more authoritarian forms of socialism had failed while Mali continued to survive and thrive. With the Yugoslav Wars Mali would specifically take in 2,500 Yugoslav refugees who willingly signed up to go to Mali, generally these were more ideological socialist members of the refugee groups. These groups would meld well into Malian society and economy.
The most controversial military activity was the annexation of Gambia. The Gambia had since the 60’s been a Malian Autonomous State, having multiparty parliamentary elections; however with Sankara’s ascension to government he had democratized the nation, and slowly reduced Gambian Autonomy. The Gambian All Socialist Bloc had secured a majority of the seats of parliament in 1995 running on a platform of integration into Mali. So, beginning in 1995, The Gambia began integration into Mali, of course this would not be totally without violence, and riots in Banjul forced the Gambian militia to open fire on rioters. After a long 6 months, 26,000 Gambians had been displaced, killed or imprisoned, with SR Gambia founded shortly afterwards with Worker Councils, and economic socialization coming into full effect.
Socially, Mali experienced major shifts in the 90’s. Denim embroidered jackets and other clothing with colorful patterns that represented ethnic heritage became incredibly popular and a national dress style. This style would become popular among women too pushing the further entrenchment of women as the same as men, especially within the workplace. The white toga style agbada, Dashiki shirts and Kufi Hats. Women, minorities, and other groups faced discrimination but now we’re becoming more represented in Malian society, and government. With electrification reaching 80% and literacy at 90% Malians had access to more and more modern technology like television, and radio, with Ouagadougou being the first place to gain internet in 1998.
Educationally, Mali ensured 85% of its citizens aged 6-17 went to the mandatory public education; however, the government knew it still needed standardization and expansion. The Ministry of Education would promote university level and daycare education for children as a way to encourage the growth of Mali’s academic base while also freeing up parents to work, and a growing service economy with daycare coops. The creation of a common curriculum would further help entrench a common Malian identity, history, and language. More specifics; however, would be left to individual states. Finally, Sankara would subsidize teachers in college making the process less costly for people pursuing a degree, with also the government appealing abroad to neighboring Nigeria, or even its allies India to come teach in Mali.
The Healthcare system in Mali had been extremely subpar. Poor standards, villages that lacked any proper medicine or facilities, understaffing in some areas, and over staffing in others, and exorbitant medical costs plagued the Malian system. By 2020 Mali would have 70 million people, and many of these people would lack access to proper medical care if nothing was done. Sankara would establish the Ministry of Healthcare, it’s first act the establishment of the People’s Public Healthcare which would free and accessible to all citizens of Mali. Expanded vaccinations, and preventative healthcare. The Ministry of Healthcare would also expand into reproductive health ensuring contraceptives and encouraging use for HIV positive people, with a law later being passed arresting people who unknowingly got others sick. While this healthcare would be the most expensive expenditure it would have long term positives for the Malian people.
Finally, came the most ambitious, but maybe most important to Sankara, the environment. The Ministry for the Environment would be founded. The ministry would be tasked with Plan Env.I which would see the afforestation of millions of trees in a project colloquially known as the Green Wall Project. Drought resistant plants and trees would be planted to curb and stop desertification of any lands within Mali. These trees would stretch from Senegal to Niger across the entire Sahel Region, an area that often had. Plan Env.II would see water desalination plants would be built to expand clean water through piping in 17 plants. Plan Env.III would pursue Green Energy for Mali. The main aim was 30% of Mali to be based upon such green energy by 2020.
These costly endeavors would stretch Mali’s finances, and cause Sankara to rely and allow more and more for large mega-cooperatives to expand their economic opportunities and power inwards.
Thus, as 2000 dawned Sankara would step down, and walk out of the National Council for the final time. He had dedicated 25 years to Mali and her people, and now he could finally rest and retire. Sankara would live up until the modern day as a political theorist teacher in the University of Ouagadougou. For better or worse Mali would be forever changed.
Afterthought: So we march closer to the end of our timeline with the end of the Sankara era. So any preliminary guesses as to what the gdp of Mali will be by the modern day?