Home Africa The Growing Political Crisis in Burkina Faso

The Growing Political Crisis in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa that covers an area of around 274,200 square kilometres and is bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest. Due to French colonialism, the country’s official language of government and business is French. However, only 15% of the population speaks French regularly. There are 59 native languages spoken in Burkina, with the most common language, Mooré, spoken by roughly 50% of Burkinabé. 

Burkina Faso, which means “land of honest men”, has significant reserves of gold, but the country has faced domestic and external concern over the state of its economy and human rights. A former French colony, it gained independence as Upper Volta in 1960. In 1983 Captain Thomas Sankara seized power and adopted radical left-wing policies but was ousted by Blaise Compaore, who went on to rule for 27 years before being ousted in a popular uprising in 2014. It has suffered from recurring droughts and military coups since many years.

On 8th November 2021, Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire gave his resignation to President Roch Marc Christian Kabore. The move has triggered the resignation of the entire government, as stipulated by law. In recent times, due to extreme climate change and natural disaster drought, many countries of the Sahel are struggling. Further, the western part of Sahel has been at the centre of the fireball of conflict that involves multiple armed groups, military campaigns by national armies and international partners as well as local militias. The country is facing a political vacuum in the name of an escalating security crisis that has killed thousands and led to street protests. This has put a strain on the already underdeveloped population. After the resignation of the whole government, now caretaker authorities are required to be put into place until a new one is formed. A new and smaller cabinet is expected to be announced before Sunday when Burkina Faso celebrates its independence.