Burkina Faso’s ruling military leader Ibrahim Traoré has dismissed the country’s prime minister and dissolved the government, according to a presidential decree obtained by AFP on Friday.
The ousted prime minister, Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, had served as head of three successive governments, surviving multiple reshuffles. However, no official reason has been given for his removal. Kyelem de Tambela was appointed prime minister in October 2022 following the coup that brought Ibrahim Traoré to power.
The decree announced that “the prime minister’s official functions are terminated,” and stated that members of the dissolved government would continue handling ongoing matters until a new government is formed.
Burkina Faso has faced significant instability since a January 2022 coup, when Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba seized power. Less than a year later, Damiba was overthrown by Traoré, who is now leading the junta. Damiba, who had ousted elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, is now in exile in neighbouring Togo.
Under the current junta, Burkina Faso has prioritised restoring national sovereignty and frequently criticises Western powers.
The country has aligned itself with neighbouring Mali and Niger, both of which are also governed by military juntas following a wave of coups since 2020. In September, the three nations formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), severing ties with former colonial power France and shifting towards Russia.
Burkina Faso was a French colony until the mid-20th century, and relations with Paris have sharply deteriorated since the 2022 coup.
