Burkina Faso’s junta leader Lt Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba named Albert Ouedraogo as his prime minister Thursday.
The move came a day after Damiba was inaugurated as the West African country’s transitional president under a recently adopted charter.
Ouedraogo, 53, is an economist and specialist in business development and management with rich experience in public administration management, development projects and private companies.
He has conducted several studies on the development of the private sector, the economic and financial feasibility of business creation and organization and the elaboration of strategic plans as well as organizational audits, according to his biography.
Since 2007, he has been the director of IPSO Conseils, a research firm specializing in economic studies, organisational audits and human resources audits.
Before heading the research firm, Ouedraogo held the position of director of the consulting department of Deloitte Burkina from January 2003 to March 2007.
The new prime minister also taught in the country’s public and private universities from October 1996 to December 2002.
The transitional government is to rule for 36 months from the date of the inauguration of the president, according to the transition charter signed by Damiba on Tuesday.
Damiba led a group of soldiers who ousted former President Roch Kabore in January.
Kabore was detained and later resigned on Jan. 24 following the coup.
In a statement earlier Thursday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) expressed “deep concern” over Kabore’s continued detention and reiterated its call for his immediate release.
A ministerial delegation of the bloc will travel to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in the coming days to meet with the junta leaders.
Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghana’s president and chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, and Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum had been scheduled to travel to Burkina Faso on Thursday but cancelled following the adoption of the transition charter by the junta, according to the statement.
ECOWAS and the African Union suspended Burkina Faso from their governing bodies following the coup.
Under the charter, the president of the transition “is not eligible for the presidential, legislative and municipal elections which will be organised at the end of the transition.”
The same provision applies to the 25 members of the transitional government.
The charter tasks the transition “to fight against terrorism, restore the integrity of the national territory, provide an effective and urgent response to the humanitarian crisis caused by insecurity as well as strengthen governance and the fight against corruption.”