Watamou Lamien

Watamou LamienWatamou Lamien was a Burkinabé politician and journalist.

Political Background He had a leading role at the Voltan National Radio in the years leading up to the 4 August 1983 coup d'état. Lamien would head the Union of Burkinabé Communists (UCB), one of the parties within the revolutionary government. He served as Minister of Information and Culture between 1984 and 1986, and as Minister of Transport and Communications from 1987 until his death in 1988. Whilst officially he perished in a car accident, there have been significant speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.

Journalist and PCRV cadre Lamien studied in Strasbourg. Upon his return to Upper Volta, he began working as a journalist at the Voltan National Radio in 1979.

In the revolutionary government Lamien was named as Minister of Information and Culture in September 1984, and would remain in this role until August 1986. On 10 August 1984 Lamien took part in the founding of the Union of Burkinabé Communists (UCB), and was included in the permanent secretariat of the new party. Lamien would also be appointed as political secretary of the National Revolutionary Council (CNR). He was a member of the Political Bureau of the CNR.

Death Through his role in the government machinery, Lamien was able to secure state financial support for several African film-makers. In 1988 he died, per official reports in a car crash en route to the set of the film Yaaba (one of the movies that he had mobilized financial support for). Lamien's body was never handed over to his family.