A day after dissolving the government without explanation, Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta has appointed Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo as the country’s new prime minister.
The announcement was made via a presidential decree read by military leader Ibrahim Traore.
Ouedraogo, a journalist and close ally of Traore, previously served as communications minister and spokesperson for the former government.
He also held key roles at the state broadcaster, including editor-in-chief and director.
No reason was provided for the dismissal of his predecessor, Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, who had served as interim prime minister since September 2022, shortly after Traore seized power in a coup.
Burkina Faso has experienced a wave of political upheavals in recent years, with Traore’s junta ousting Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had earlier led a coup to remove the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.
The country is one of several West African nations where military takeovers have occurred, driven by public discontent with the inability of civilian governments to address worsening security issues.
Despite the junta’s promise to restore stability, Burkina Faso continues to grapple with escalating attacks by terrorists.
These assaults have killed thousands and displaced over two million people, half of them children.
Analysts estimate that around half of the country’s territory remains outside government control.
Burkina Faso’s transitional government operates under a constitution approved by a national assembly comprising military officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders.
Initially, the junta pledged to hold democratic elections by July 2024 under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS.
However, in May, it extended the transition period by five years—the length of a presidential term.
Alongside Niger and Mali, which have also experienced coups, Burkina Faso has severed ties with Western allies and regional organizations, including ECOWAS, which the three nations collectively exited earlier this year.
The trio has since formed the Alliance of Sahel States to address shared challenges, including jihadi violence that first erupted in northern Mali in 2012.
The ongoing instability highlights the difficulties facing the military-led government as it attempts to fulfil its promises of security and governance.
Africanews/Patience Ameh
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