Burkina Faso’s transitional president Ibrahim Traoré has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and his government, local media reported on Friday.
The ousted prime minister, Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela, had led three consecutive governments, undergoing multiple reshuffles. However, no official reason was given for his removal. He was appointed prime minister in October 2022 after the coup that brought Ibrahim Traoré to power.
The decree announced that “the official functions of the prime minister have been terminated” and stated that members of the dissolved government would continue to handle current affairs until a new government is formed.
Burkina Faso has experienced significant instability since a coup in January 2022, when Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba seized power. Less than a year later, Damiba was overthrown by Traoré, who now leads the junta. Damiba, who overthrew President-elect Roch Marc Christian Kabore, is now in exile in neighbouring Togo.
Under the current junta, Burkina Faso has prioritised the restoration of national sovereignty and has often criticised Western powers.
In July this year, the authorities of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger decided to create a Confederation of Sahel States. The countries took the decision following the first summit of the Alliance of Sahel States held in Niamey to take another step towards greater integration.
Burkina Faso was a French colony until the mid-20th century, and relations with Paris deteriorated sharply after the 2022 coup.
