Michel Kafando

Michel Kafando
President of Burkina Faso
Interim
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 November 2014
Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida
Preceded by Yacouba Isaac Zida (Acting)
Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United Nations
In office
15 April 1998 – 5 July 2011
President Blaise Compaoré
Preceded by Gaëtan Rimwanguiya Ouédraogo[1]
Succeeded by Der Kogda
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
30 September 1982 – 4 August 1983[2]
Prime Minister Saye Zerbo
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo
Preceded by Félix Tientarboum
Succeeded by Hama Arba Diallo
Personal details
Born 18 August 1942
Ouagadougou, Upper Volta
(now Burkina Faso)[2]
Alma mater University of Bordeaux
Sciences Po
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Paris-Sorbonne University

Michel Kafando (born 18 August 1942) is the transitional President of Burkina Faso, in office since 2014.[3] He was the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) of Burkina Faso to the United Nations from 1998 to 2011; previously he served in the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1983.[4]

Following the resignation of President Blaise Compaoré amidst mass protests on 31 October 2014, Kafando was chosen to serve as President during a year-long transitional period leading to the next election. He was sworn in on 18 November 2014.

Background

Kafando was born in Ouagadougou. He attained a bachelor's degree in public law from the University of Bordeaux in 1969, a diploma in political studies in 1972 in Paris and another diploma from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva also in 1972. He later gained a PhD in political science at the Sorbonne in 1990. He is married, and has one child.[4]

Political career

Michel Kafando was the Foreign Minister of Upper Volta (as Burkina Faso was then known) from 1982 to 1983, becoming the only cabinet member to retain his portfolio before and after the November 1982 coup of Major Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo. He was also a Vice-President of the General Assembly in 1982. He has headed many delegations to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), and is a Vice-President of the African Centre for Environmental Protection (an NGO).[4]

He served as Upper Volta's Permanent Representative to the UN and as its Ambassador to Cuba before being appointed as Permanent Representative to the UN for a second time; he presented his credentials to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, on 15 April 1998.[4]

Kafando was President of the United Nations Security Council in September 2008[5] and in December 2009.

On 17 November 2014, Kafando was appointed as transitional President of Burkina Faso by the designation council.[3] He was sworn in on 18 November 2014,[6] and he appointed Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida, who had briefly served as interim head of state before him, as Prime Minister on 19 November.[7] In the transitional government, appointed on 23 November, Kafando held the foreign affairs portfolio.[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ "Secretary-General Meets with Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso", unmultimedia.org
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Diplomatie : Michel Kafando quitte New York après une longue carrière ", lefaso.net
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Michel Kafando, Président de la Transition", Burkina24, 17 November 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "New Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso presents credentials", UN Press Release BIO/3152, 15 April 1998.
  5. ↑ "Press conference by Security Council President", United Nations, 3 September 2008.
  6. ↑ "Kafando sworn in as Burkina Faso transitional president", Reuters, 18 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Mathieu Bonkoungou and Nadoun Coulibaly, "Burkina Faso names army colonel Zida as prime minister", Reuters, 19 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Le gouvernement de la transition est connu", Lefaso.net, 23 November 2014 (French).
  9. ↑ "Transitional government appointed in Burkina Faso", Reuters, 24 November 2014.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Yacouba Isaac Zida
Acting		 President of Burkina Faso
Interim
2014–present 		Incumbent