Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government, according to a presidential decree reported by AFP on Friday.
Kyelem de Tambela, who had served as prime minister since October 2022 after Traoré’s rise to power in a coup, led three consecutive administrations despite multiple reshuffles. The decree provided no explanation for his removal but stated that members of the dissolved government would handle transitional duties until a new government is formed.
The country has been in a state of political turmoil since January 2022, when Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba ousted elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in a coup. Less than a year later, Damiba himself was overthrown by Traoré, who now heads the ruling junta. Damiba has since gone into exile in Togo.
Under Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso has focused on asserting national sovereignty, often clashing with Western nations.
The country has also strengthened ties with neighboring Mali and Niger, both led by military juntas, and joined them in forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September. This alliance has distanced itself from France, Burkina Faso’s former colonial power, in favor of closer relations with Russia.
The latest developments underscore ongoing instability in Burkina Faso and its broader regional alliances in the Sahel.
Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government, according to a presidential decree reported by AFP on Friday.
Kyelem de Tambela, who had served as prime minister since October 2022 after Traoré’s rise to power in a coup, led three consecutive administrations despite multiple reshuffles. The decree provided no explanation for his removal but stated that members of the dissolved government would handle transitional duties until a new government is formed.
The country has been in a state of political turmoil since January 2022, when Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba ousted elected President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in a coup. Less than a year later, Damiba himself was overthrown by Traoré, who now heads the ruling junta. Damiba has since gone into exile in Togo.
Under Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso has focused on asserting national sovereignty, often clashing with Western nations.
The country has also strengthened ties with neighboring Mali and Niger, both led by military juntas, and joined them in forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September. This alliance has distanced itself from France, Burkina Faso’s former colonial power, in favor of closer relations with Russia.
The latest developments underscore ongoing instability in Burkina Faso and its broader regional alliances in the Sahel.
