Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has dismissed his prime minister, Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, and dissolved the entire government.
The dismissal of the head of government and his cabinet was announced in a decree signed by the head of the junta on Friday.
The decree does not specify the reasons for the prime minister’s dismissal, but states that the members of the dissolved government will continue to perform their duties until a new cabinet is appointed.
Mr Tambela, a civilian, was appointed prime minister in 2022, shortly after Ibrahim Traoré seized power in a coup.
His dismissal comes just weeks after another civilian prime minister, Choguel Maïga, was sacked by coup leader General Assimi Goïta in neighbouring Mali.
It remains to be seen whether Captain Traoré will follow in the footsteps of his Malian counterpart by appointing a soldier to the post of prime minister, in order to maintain the junta’s grip on power.
Burkina Faso, like its Sahel neighbours, continues to face security threats from jihadist groups.
Keep Reading
Despite the army’s promises to improve security, the situation remains disastrous, with frequent attacks by insurgents.
It is feared that the Sahel junta leaders will try to prolong their stay in power by delaying the elections that are supposed to return their country to civilian rule.
