Burkina Faso To Form New Government As Prime Minister Resigns

A change of government is underway in Burkina Faso following the resignation of the West African country’s Prime Minister, Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire, over the government’s failure to stop a wave of violence by Islamist militants in the country.

Dabire yielded to the demands by activist groups who had called for his resignation over the surge of attacks by al Qaeda-linked militants in the country.

At least 49 military police officers and four civilians were said to have been killed in one of such attacks recently.

Dabire, as reported by AFP, submitted his resignation letter to President Roch Marc Christian Kabore who acknowledged it.

The Burkina Faso law provides that the entire government must step down in the event that a PM resigns from office.

The Secretary-General of the Government, Stéphane Sanou, read a presidential declaration on “termination” of Dabire’s function on Wednesday.

Part of the text read by Sanou directed “the members of the outgoing government (to) ensure the dispatch of the current affairs of the ministerial departments until the formation of a new government.”

Meanwhile, Dabire wrote in a Facebook post: “Today I presented my resignation letter to the President of Faso, His Excellency Mr. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who accepted it. I would like to first thank the Head of State for the confidence placed in my humble person and for the high responsibilities he has entrusted me with, for 3 years. I also thank my compatriots and all the members of the Government for the accompanying me.

“In the context of strong popular aspirations, I invite the Burkinabès, as a whole, to mobilize, to support the President of Faso and the new executive that will be established. I remain convinced that it is in a unity of action that we can meet the challenges faced by our country and our people. Long live Burkina Faso.”