Burkina Faso’s military junta announced on Friday the abrupt dismissal of Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela.
A decree from junta leader Ibrahim Traore also declared the dissolution of the national government, leaving officials to serve temporarily until a new administration is established.
Burkina Faso’s military seized power in September 2022, ousting Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had led a coup against a democratically elected president months earlier.
The junta claimed its intervention was necessary to tackle spiraling security threats but has since faced mounting criticism for failing to deliver stability.
Extremist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State have intensified attacks, displacing over 2 million people and leaving thousands dead.
Experts estimate that nearly half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains under the control of militant groups, exposing the government’s struggle to regain dominance.
The transitional government has operated under a military-backed constitution, with a diverse assembly of army officers, civic leaders, and religious figures shaping its framework.
Initially pledging elections by July 2024 under pressure from the West African bloc ECOWAS, the junta later extended its transition period by five years.
Alongside neighboring coup-hit nations like Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has distanced itself from Western and regional allies, severing ties with ECOWAS and former colonial power France.
As uncertainty deepens, many in Burkina Faso fear prolonged instability, questioning whether the junta’s promises of security and democracy will ever materialize.