The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Burkina Faso (previously known as the Republic of Upper Volta ) is a government minister in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso, responsible for conducting foreign relations of the country.
The following is a list of foreign ministers of Upper Volta/Burkina Faso since its founding in 1960:
No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|
Republic of Upper Volta (1960–1984) | |||
1 | Maurice Yaméogo (1921–1993) | 1960 | |
2 | Lompolo Koné (1921–1974) | 1960–1966 | |
3 | Sangoulé Lamizana (1916–2005) | 1966–1967 | |
4 | Malick Zoromé (1935–2012) | 1967–1971 | |
5 | Joseph Conombo (1917–2008) | 1971–1974 | |
6 | Saye Zerbo (1932–2013) | 1974–1976 | |
7 | Alfred Kabore (b. 1939) | 1976–1977 | |
8 | Moussa Kargougou (1926–1997) | 1977–1980 | |
9 | Félix Tientarboum (1935–2013) | 1980–1982 | |
10 | Michel Kafando (b. 1942) | 1982–1983 | |
11 | Hama Arba Diallo (1939–2014) | 1983–1984 | |
Republic of Burkina Faso (1984–present) | |||
12 | Basile Guissou (b. 1949) | 1984–1986 | |
13 | Léandre Bassolé (b. 1946) | 1986–1987 | |
14 | Jean-Marc Palm | 1987–1989 | |
15 | Issou Go | 1989 | |
16 | Prosper Vokouma (b. 1955) | 1989–1991 | |
17 | Issa Dominique Konaté (b. 1953) | 1991–1992 | |
18 | Thomas Sanon (b. 1947) | 1992–1994 | |
19 | Ablassé Ouedraogo (b. 1953) | 1994–1999 | |
20 | Youssouf Ouédraogo (1952–2017) | 1999–2007 | |
21 | Djibril Bassolé (b. 1957) | 2007–2008 | |
22 | Alain Bédouma Yoda (b. 1951) | 2008–2011 | |
(21) | Djibril Bassolé (b. 1957) | 2011–2014 | |
(10) | Michel Kafando (b. 1942) | 2014–2015 | |
23 | Moussa Nébié (b. 1959) | 2015 | |
(23) | 2015–2016 | ||
24 | Alpha Barry (b. 1970) | 2016–2020 | |
(24) | 2021 | ||
25 | Rosine Sori-Coulibaly (b. 1958) | 2021–2022 | |
26 | Olivia Rouamba | 2022–2023 | |
27 | Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré | 2023–present |
Burkina Faso has good relations with the European Union, African and certain Asian countries.
The history of Burkina Faso includes the history of various kingdoms within the country, such as the Mossi kingdoms, as well as the later French colonisation of the territory and its independence as the Republic of Upper Volta in 1960.
The Republic of Upper Volta was a landlocked West African country established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing state within the French Community. Before becoming autonomous, it had been part of the French Union as the French Upper Volta. On 5 August 1960, it gained full independence from France. On 4 August 1984, it changed its name to Burkina Faso.
Saye Zerbo was a Burkinabé military officer who was the third President of the Republic of Upper Volta from 25 November 1980 until 7 November 1982.
Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana was an Upper Voltese military officer who served as the President of Upper Volta, in power from 3 January 1966, to 25 November 1980. He held the additional position of Prime Minister from 8 February 1974, to 7 July 1978.
Joseph Issoufou Conombo served as Prime Minister of Upper Volta from 7 July 1978 to 25 November 1980. Born in the department of Kombissiri, he attended medical school in Dakar, Senegal, then served in the French forces during World War II.
Gérard Kango Ouédraogo was a Burkinabé statesman and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Upper Volta from 13 February 1971 to 8 February 1974. He was subsequently President of the National Assembly of Upper Volta from October 1978 to November 25, 1980.
Michel Kafando is a Burkinabé diplomat who served as the transitional President of Burkina Faso from 2014 to 2015. He served in the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1983 and was the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) of Burkina Faso to the United Nations from 1998 to 2011.
Upper Volta was a colony of French West Africa established in 1919 in the territory occupied by present-day Burkina Faso. It was formed from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Côte d'Ivoire. The colony was dissolved on 5 September 1932, with parts being administered by the Côte d'Ivoire, French Sudan and the Colony of Niger.
Burkina Faso–Taiwan relations referred to the historical relationship between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Burkina Faso. Taiwan had an embassy in Ouagadougou, and Burkina Faso had an embassy in Taipei. In May 2018, Burkina Faso switched to recognize the People's Republic of China, thus ending diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The last ambassador of Burkina Faso to Taiwan, appointed in August 2017, was Aminata Sana Congo.
Burkina Faso–North Korea relations refers to the current and historical relationship between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Burkina Faso. Neither country maintains an embassy in the other, although the DPRK formerly had an ambassador accredited in the Burkinabé capital Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso–Sweden relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Sweden and Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has a non-resident ambassador located in Copenhagen, Denmark and an honorary consulate in Uppsala. Sweden has an embassy in Ouagadougou, which was opened in 2010.
Burkina Faso–Soviet Union relations refers to the historical relationship between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the Republic of Burkina Faso. Relations between the countries were relatively close during some parts of the late Cold War. The Soviet Union maintained an embassy in the Burkinabé capital Ouagadougou, and Burkina Faso maintained an embassy in Moscow.
The 1980 Upper Voltan coup d'état took place on 25 November 1980 in the Republic of Upper Volta. Following a long period of drought, famine, popular unrest and labour strikes, Colonel Saye Zerbo overthrew President Sangoulé Lamizana, another military leader. Zerbo himself would be overthrown only two years later.
The 1982 Upper Voltan coup d'état took place in the Republic of Upper Volta on 7 November 1982. The coup, led by Colonel Gabriel Yoryan Somé and a slew of other junior officers within the military, many of them political radicals, overthrew the regime of Colonel Saye Zerbo. Zerbo had previously taken power just under two years prior to his own downfall.