Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi),bordered by Mali to the northwest,Niger to the northeast,Benin to the southeast,Togo and Ghana to the south,and Ivory Coast to the southwest. As of 2021,the country had an estimated population of 23,674,480. Previously called Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984),it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè,and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
The Politics of Burkina Faso takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential republic,whereby the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso is the head of government,and of a multi-party system. The President of Burkina Faso is the head of state. Executive power is exercised by both the President and the Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The party system was dominated by the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) until 2014. Burkina Faso's CDP fell victim to a series of demonstrations and riots,to alter the constitution and extend the former president's term in office - referred to as the 2014 Burkinabéuprising. The military then declared itself to be in power and the state shifted to an electoral autocracy. Burkina Faso lacks the foundation that would support a democracy,with its current transition to a military regime,but not all hope is lost. After an internal coup ousted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba,the previous military head of state,a new transitional charter was adopted,naming Captain Ibrahim Traoréas president. Mr. Damiba's progressional failures on the state's security front “swung a majority of domestic opinion in favour of the MPSR”. Mr. Traorépledged a major reinforcement of armed forces to strengthen frontline units and recruited over 3,000 more troops. As the violence becomes so entrenched,it is nonetheless expected that the security situation will remain dire in the medium term. “However,we expect that elections will still be held in 2024 as part of the army's plan to stabilise the security situation by boosting counter-terrorism operations.”
The Burkina Faso Armed Forces is the term used for the national military of Burkina Faso. The service branches of the armed forces include its Army,Air Force,National Gendarmerie and People's Militia. Being a landlocked country,Burkina Faso has no navy.
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.
Blaise Compaoré is a Burkinabé-Ivorian former politician who served as the second president of Burkina Faso from 1987 to 2014. He was a close associate of the first president,Thomas Sankara,during the 1980s and in October 1987 he led a coup d'état during which Sankara was killed. Subsequently,he introduced a policy of 'rectification',overturning the leftist and Third Worldist policies pursued by Sankara. He won elections in 1991,1998,2005,and 2010,in what were considered unfair circumstances. His attempt to amend the constitution to extend his 27-year term caused the 2014 Burkinabéuprising. On 31 October 2014,Compaoréresigned,whereupon he fled to the Ivory Coast. In April 2022,he was found guilty by a special military tribunal of complicity in Sankara’s murder. He is also the longest-serving president of Burkina Faso.
Roch Marc Christian Kaboré is a Burkinabébanker and politician who served as the President of Burkina Faso from 2015 until he was deposed in 2022. He was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso between 1994 and 1996 and President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso from 2002 to 2012. Kaboréwas also president of the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) until his departure from the party in 2014. He founded the People's Movement for Progress party that same year.
The unicameral National Assembly is the legislative body of Burkina Faso. In 1995,it became the lower house of a bicameral parliament,but the upper house was abolished in 2002. The upper house was to have been restored under the name "Senate" in the June 2012 constitutional amendments. This revision was never executed due to an extended and unresolved political confrontation over the Senate's establishment,which left the country effectively with a unicameral legislature as of the October 2014 constitutional crisis.
KadréDésiréOuédraogo is a Burkinabèstatesman. He was the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso from 1996 to 2000 and Chairman of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Articles related to Burkina Faso include:
The 2015 Burkina Faso coup d'état attempt was a failed coup d'état launched on 16 September 2015 in Burkina Faso,when members of the Regiment of Presidential Security (RSP) –a controversial autonomous military unit,formed under President Blaise Compaoré–detained the country's government. Among those detained were the transitional President Michel Kafando,Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida,and numerous members of the cabinet. This transitional government was formed in the wake of the 2014 Burkinabéuprising,when a popular movement overthrew the long-time president Compaoré,who himself had come to power in a 1987 coup against the left-wing leader Thomas Sankara. New general elections were planned for 11 October 2015.
The Nagreongo Solar Power Station,also Nagréongo Solar Power Station,is a 30 MW (40,000 hp) solar power in Burkina Faso. The solar farm,which was commissioned in July 2022,was developed by the French IPP,GreenYellow,a subsidiary of the Casino Group. The energy generated here is sold to the Burkinabe electricity utility company SONABEL,,under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
A coup d'état was launched in Burkina Faso on 23 January 2022. Gunfire erupted in front of the presidential residence in the Burkinabécapital Ouagadougou and several military barracks around the city. Soldiers were reported to have seized control of the military base in the capital. The government denied there was an active coup in the country. Several hours later,President Roch Marc Christian Kaboréwas reported to have been detained by the soldiers at the military camp in the capital. On 24 January,the military announced on television that Kaboréhad been deposed from his position as president. After the announcement,the military declared that the parliament,government and constitution had been dissolved. The coup d'état was led by military officer Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is a Burkinabèmilitary officer who served as interim president of Burkina Faso from 31 January 2022 to 30 September 2022,when he was removed in a coup d'état,by his own military colleague Ibrahim Traoré. Damiba had come to power just eight months earlier,on 24 January 2022,when he removed President Roch Marc Christian Kaboréin a coup.
Albert Ouédraogo is a Burkinabéeconomist who served as prime minister of Burkina Faso in the aftermath of the January 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état,from 3 March until another coup on 30 September.
A coup d'état took place in Burkina Faso on 30 September 2022,removing Interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba over his alleged inability to deal with the country's Islamist insurgency. Damiba had come to power in a coup d'état eight months earlier. Captain Ibrahim Traorétook over as interim leader.
Ibrahim Traoré is a Burkinabèmilitary officer who has been the interim leader of Burkina Faso since the 30 September 2022 coup d'état that ousted interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. At age 36,Traoréis currently the second youngest serving state leader in the world,and the youngest serving president.
On 26 September 2023,dissidents of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces attempted to overthrow the ruling military junta led by Ibrahim Traoré,which came to power a year earlier.
Yabre Juliette Kongo is a politician. She hails from the royal family of Moogho Naaba. She served as a member of the National Assembly and was a former advisor to the President of Burkina Faso. Additionally,she is known as the founder of the Kolgondiéséwomen's museum.
Damo Justin Baro,also known as Justin Damo Barro,is a Burkinabe economist and politician who served as Minister of Finance between 1983 and 1986 under Thomas Sankara. During that time,he was President of ECOWAS' Council of Ministers. In the 1990s,he served in the World Bank,and later helped create the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
Eric Wendenmenegha Bougouma is a Burkinabe statesman and politician who served as the Minister of Infrastructure of Burkina Faso from January 12,2016,to December 8,2021.
