Burkina Faso government takes shape
AFTER the appointment of the prime minister last Friday, Burkina Faso president Ibrahim Traore is moving ahead to set up the country’s transitional bodies.
The provisional government was unveiled on Tuesday evening on national television. The team, led by Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela, has 23 members, including 20 ministers and three deputy ministers.
Five ministers under Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Damida were reappointed. They are Olivia Rouamba for foreign affairs, Robert Kargougou for health, Jean Marie Traore for regional co-operation, Aminata Zerbo for digital transition and the “hotheaded” trade unionist Bassolma Bazie for the civil service, with the rank of senior minister. The other senior minister is Colonel Kassoum Coulibaly, who is in charge of defence.
The men in fatigues have given way to civilians. In addition to Coulibaly, only three others are members of the executive branch, including Boukare Zoungrana, appointed minister of security.
“The man (Coulibaly) has the confidence of the military,” said journalist Obissa Juste Mien.
Indeed, this is the third time Coulibaly is appointed under the MPSR (Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration), the junta that has been in power since last January. In February 2022, he was appointed governor of the Centre-East, and later, commander of the brigade called Veille pour la Défense Patriotique (BVDP, Watch Group to Defend the Motherland) at the end of August.
Only five women were included in the government team. In addition to Olivia Rouamba, a seasoned diplomat and computer scientist Aminata Zerbo, the new team includes Judge Bibata Nebie at the ministry of justice, civil administrator Nandy Some at the ministry in charge of humanitarian action and national reconciliation, and Fatoumata Bako, deputy minister for budget.
The government is also characterised by its youthfulness, notably the minister for economy, finance and prospective, Aboubacar Nakanabo.
He is a tax inspector and an expert in international taxation. Another young minister is Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo, a journalist and star presenter on national television, who has been appointed minister of communication, arts, culture and tourism.
Reliable sources told APA the new government held its maiden meeting yesterday to give its members their mission letters and instructions from Captain Ibrahim Traore, who was appointed president of the transition after his September 30 coup against Lieutenant-Colonel Damiba. The latter had toppled Roch Marc Christian Kabore, a civilian, in January.