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Inner circles | Burkina Faso
Olivia Rouamba, the juntas' favourite foreign minister

Burkina Faso's Minister of Foreign Affairs Olivia Rouamba. © @BurkinaMae/Twitter

Rouamba was kept in her job by the new junta in Burkina Faso despite her being close to the ousted putschist leader Paul-Henri Damiba. She enjoys a certain popularity on the international stage, but has little say in her country's relations with Paris and Brussels. [...]

Published on 23/12/2022 at 06:00 GMT Reading time 6 minutes Pierre-Elie de Rohan Chabot

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Politics

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Adama Compaoré
African Union
Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela
Avenue Maurice-Yaméogo
Blaise Compaore
Centre International d'Evangélisation
Djibrill Yipene Bassole
Ecole nationale d'administration et de magistrature
Economic Community of West African States
Emanuela Claudia Del Re
European Union
Fédération des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques
Francis Béhanzin
G5 Sahel
Ibrahim Traore
Impact TV
Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou
Jean-Marie Traoré
Luc Hallade
Mahamadou Issoufou
Mamadou Philippe Karambiri
Minata Samate Cessouma
Moussa Faki Mahamat
Mouvement sunnite burkinabè
Olivia Rouamba
Oumar Alieu Touray
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba
Roch Marc Christian Kabore
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Seydou Sinka
Thomas Sankara
Unicef
United Nations
United Nations Development Programme
Wagner
World Bank
Yacouba Isaac Zida
Yevgeny Prigozhin

Spotlight | West Africa
Brussels and London face Accra Initiative headache

The future of the Accra Initiative, a West African security cooperation structure aimed at stemming the spread of rampant Islamist insurgency from the Sahel, remains uncertain. The United Kingdom and the EU, as key partners in the project, are encouraging member states to clarify their positions before unlocking any significant financial support.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 04.07.2023

British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey (L) speaks next to European Council President Charles Michel (R), during the Accra Initiative summit on West Africa counter-terrorism cooperation which gathered heads of state and government in Accra on November 22, 2022.

Burkina Faso
Junta leader Ibrahim Traoré appeals to Doha

Burkinabe Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba has requested a meeting with her Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 21.06.2023

Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Traore's trusted spin doctors

In recent months, the Burkinabe junta leader has been relying on two confidants, one of whom is his brother, to steer his communications strategy. The duo played a key part in the running of the pro-transition events in May.

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West Africa
UN struggles to replace resident coordinator

The Burkianbe junta has once again rejected the United Nations' request for certification for a replacement of the organisation's resident coordinator Barbara Manzi.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 29.05.2023

Burkina Faso
Paris and Ouagadougou appoint new ambassadors

Ouagadougou has made its choice of new ambassador in Paris. France is expected to agree, but is still waiting for the approval of the Burkinabe authorities for the future French representative in Burkina Faso.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 28.04.2023

Spotlight | Burkina Faso
As Wagner spectre looms, EU reaches out to Ouagadougou

Talks between the European Union and Burkina Faso on possible security support recently resumed. The EU is keen to maintain links with the junta led by Captain Traoré, but would freeze any aid plans if Ouagadougou signs a deal with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 12.04.2023

A banner of the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore is seen during a protest to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces, in Ouagadougou, on the 20 January 2023.

Sahel
Special envoys for the Sahel to meet in The Hague

EU special envoys for the Sahel to meet in The Hague on 17 and 18 April.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 29.03.2023

Burkina Faso
Burkinabe military split over junta leader Traoré's new directions

In the wake of the brutal end to Burkina Faso's military cooperation deal with Paris, Burkinabe officers appear increasingly divided as regards junta leader Ibrahim Traoré. Traoré for his part is wary of some of them and keeps certain figures well away from the decision-making process.

Subscribers only Defence, Politics 06.03.2023

Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso's new president, in Ouagadougou, 15 October 2022.

Burkina Faso
Burkinabe junta procures arms via circuitous routes

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Subscribers only Defence 09.02.2023

Burkina Faso
Under sanctions, Nordgold adjusts its strategy

Alexei Mordashov's company is stepping up its efforts at its Bissa Gold concession in the centre of Burkina Faso, which is less exposed to security risks. At the same time, the Russian firm is trying to persuade the ruling junta to allow it to settle some of its tax and royalty dues in gold and to lift a ban on exporting its output.

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Burkina Faso, France
Junta rebuffs Paris over military cooperation

Two months after the coup, Burkina Faso's strongman is reluctant to accept operational support from France. A withdrawal of the Sabre force is now being discussed by the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu.

Subscribers only Defence 30.11.2022

West Africa
Issoufou's Sahel report for AU faces high expectations

Following on from his participation in the United Nations General Assembly in September, the former Nigerien head of state Mahamadou Issoufou will present his report on the situation in the Sahel at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa in February.

Subscribers only Diplomacy 02.11.2022

Burkina Faso, France
France struggles to find a way through the confusion in Burkina Faso

Before Captain Ibrahim Traore's 30 September coup, France had been relying heavily on Burkina Faso - and Niger - to reorganise its security presence in West Africa following its withdrawal from Mali. It had been preparing a major support plan for the authorities in Ouagadougou but this has now been largely compromised and its future presence in the country rendered uncertain.

Subscribers only Defence, Diplomacy 12.10.2022

Smoke around the French embassy in Burkina Faso on 1 October.

Burkina Faso
Captain Ibrahim Traoré walking on a knife edge

The head of the 30 September putsch has only a limited support within the military apparatus and is already encountering mistrust among powerful senior officers. He wants to designate a new president of the transition and has increasingly been engaging in discreet consultations on the matter.

Subscribers only Politics 10.10.2022

Captain Ibrahim Traoré (C), parades in the streets of Ouagadougou and hails the cheering crowd. Captain Ibrahim Traore was appointed as president of Burkina Faso on October 5, 2022, according to an official statement.

Set up email notifications for these topics

Adama Compaoré
African Union
Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela
Avenue Maurice-Yaméogo
Blaise Compaore
Centre International d'Evangélisation
Djibrill Yipene Bassole
Ecole nationale d'administration et de magistrature
Economic Community of West African States
Emanuela Claudia Del Re
European Union
Fédération des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques
Francis Béhanzin
G5 Sahel
Ibrahim Traore
Impact TV
Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo
Jean-Claude Kassi Brou
Jean-Marie Traoré
Luc Hallade
Mahamadou Issoufou
Mamadou Philippe Karambiri
Minata Samate Cessouma
Moussa Faki Mahamat
Mouvement sunnite burkinabè
Olivia Rouamba
Oumar Alieu Touray
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba
Roch Marc Christian Kabore
Seydou Kaboré
Seydou Sinka
Thomas Sankara
Unicef
United Nations
United Nations Development Programme
Wagner
World Bank
Yacouba Isaac Zida
Yevgeny Prigozhin

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