In a dramatic political shift, Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government. The announcement came via a presidential decree on Friday, though no reason was provided for the decision.
This marks a significant development in the West African nation, which has been grappling with political instability since January 2022, when a coup ousted the democratically elected government.
Kyelem, who was appointed prime minister in October 2022 following Traoré’s coup, had managed to survive multiple government reshuffles. However, his tenure has now come to an abrupt end. According to the decree, members of the dissolved government will handle “ongoing business” until a new administration is formed.
Burkina Faso has experienced a series of coups over the past two years. The instability began with Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba’s seizure of power in January 2022, ousting President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. Traoré, 36, subsequently toppled Damiba in September 2022, asserting his leadership and prioritizing the restoration of national sovereignty.
Damiba is currently in exile in Togo, while Traoré continues to lead the junta amid increasing geopolitical shifts.
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Under Traoré’s rule, Burkina Faso has pivoted away from its traditional alliances with Western powers, particularly its former colonial ruler, France. The junta has instead aligned with fellow Sahel nations Mali and Niger, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023.
This coalition has also sought closer ties with Russia, with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré recently stating that cooperation with Moscow is “better suited” for the country’s needs. Russian military instructors have been deployed to Burkina Faso to aid in the ongoing fight against Islamist insurgencies.
Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, continues to face severe jihadist violence that began in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to the neighboring countries by 2015. This violence has claimed more than 26,000 lives, including soldiers and civilians, and displaced nearly two million people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
The junta’s decision to sever ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier this year further reflects its shifting priorities and dissatisfaction with regional bodies it accuses of being influenced by France.
As Burkina Faso awaits the formation of a new government, the country remains at a crossroads. The junta’s focus on national sovereignty and its alliance with Russia indicate a clear break from traditional diplomatic ties, but the challenges of governance, economic recovery, and security persist.
Observers are closely watching how this latest development will shape Burkina Faso’s political and social landscape in the coming month