Poor even by the standards of West Africa, Burkina Faso has been plagued by political instability since independence from France in 1960. It has suffered five military coups, the last of which cost the life of Thomas Sankara, who had waged war on poverty, corruption and illiteracy. Yet Burkina Faso's growth was surprisingly strong during the 1980s, as it made the best of its meagre assets in cotton, gold and livestock. The country is also fortunate in its relative lack of ethnic conflict, and the several religions practised coexist peacefully. There have, however, been two wars with Mali, and...