Burkina Faso’s Transitional President, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government, according to a decree issued late Friday and broadcast on state television. The decree clarified that government officials will continue their duties until a new cabinet is formed, though no reasons were given for the decision.
Matias Traoré, the secretary-general of the government and the council of ministers, read the decree. Traoré himself had been appointed prime minister in October 2022 after Traore’s military-led coup brought him to power.
This move comes on the heels of similar actions in neighboring Mali, where President General Assimi Goita dismissed Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga and his cabinet on November 11, following Maiga’s rare public criticism of the military junta.
The timing of both dismissals raises questions about internal political stability across the Sahel region. In September 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States, committing to a joint military force to combat the increasing threat from armed militant groups operating in the region.