Burkina Faso Junta Appoints New Prime Minister Amidst Political Upheaval

Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta appointed a new prime minister on Saturday. Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, who previously served as communications minister and spokesperson for the former government, has been named the new prime minister.

The announcement was made by military leader Ibrahim Traore through a presidential decree read on state television on Saturday. Ouedraogo, a journalist by profession and a close associate of Traore, previously held positions as editor-in-chief and director of the country’s state television.

No explanation was given for the dismissal of the former Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, who had been appointed as interim premier shortly after Traore seized power in September 2022. The junta had ousted the military rule of Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after Damiba had led a coup to overthrow the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.

Burkina Faso is one of several West African countries where the military has recently taken power, exploiting widespread dissatisfaction with previous democratically elected governments over security issues. However, since the latest coup, the military leaders have struggled to address Burkina Faso’s security challenges, the very issues they claimed had prompted their takeover.

Increasing attacks by extremists linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have devastated the country. Thousands have been killed in recent years, and more than two million people, half of them children, have been displaced. Analysts estimate that around half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside government control.

The country’s transitional government has been operating under a constitution approved by a national assembly that includes army officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders.

Under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS, the junta had aimed to hold an election in July 2024 to restore democratic rule.

However, in May, it extended its transition period by an additional five years, equivalent to one presidential term. Along with Niger and Mali, which have also experienced coups, Burkina Faso has severed ties with long-standing Western and regional partners, including ECOWAS, which they all withdrew from earlier this year.

The three countries have united to form the Alliance of Sahel States and are combating jihadi violence that first erupted in northern Mali in 2012.

Frances Ibiefo

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