GistReel

Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government, according to a presidential decree obtained by AFP on Friday.

The decree, which did not provide reasons for the decision, stated that members of the dissolved government would “continue ongoing business until a new government is formed.”

Kyelem de Tambela, who had been prime minister since October 2022 following Traore’s coup, had survived three cabinet reshuffles before his abrupt dismissal.

“The prime minister’s official functions are terminated,” the decree declared, leaving the nation speculating about the motives behind the move.

Burkina Faso has faced ongoing political instability since January 2022, when Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba overthrew then-President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. Damiba’s rule was brief, as he was ousted by Traore eight months later.

The country remains in turmoil due to escalating jihadist violence, which has claimed over 26,000 lives and displaced nearly two million people since 2015.

Under Traore’s leadership, Burkina Faso has shifted away from its former colonial ruler, France, forging closer ties with Russia instead.

Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore recently stated that Russia’s partnership “better suits” Burkina Faso’s needs. The nation, along with Mali and Niger—also governed by military juntas—formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September, signaling a shift in regional alliances.

The three countries, grappling with shared jihadist threats, have severed ties with France and exited the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), accusing the bloc of being influenced by Paris.

The Sahel region has been engulfed in violence since Islamist insurgencies began in northern Mali in 2012, spreading to Burkina Faso and Niger and causing widespread displacement and casualties.

In Burkina Faso, Russian military instructors have been deployed to aid in combating jihadist groups.