Burkina Faso's military leader dismissed Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and dissolved the government on Friday, AFP reported, citing a presidential decree.

Kyelem de Tambela, who had led three successive governments since his appointment in October 2022 following a coup, was sacked without an official explanation.

"The prime minister's official functions are terminated," the decree, stated, adding that the members of the dissolved government would continue handling ongoing matters until a new administration is formed.

Burkina Faso has been grappling with political instability since a January 2022 coup led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. However, Damiba himself was overthrown just eight months later by Captain Ibrahim Traore, who now heads the junta. Damiba, who had ousted elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, is currently in exile in Togo.

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Shifting alliances and focus on sovereignty

The ruling junta has prioritized reclaiming national sovereignty, frequently criticizing Western powers and aligning itself with Mali and Niger, both of which are also governed by military juntas following a wave of coups since 2020.

In September, the three nations established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) after severing ties with their former colonial power, France, and shifting their focus toward Russia.

Burkina Faso, a former French colony, has experienced a significant deterioration in relations with Paris since the 2022 coup. Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore recently stated that cooperation with Russia was "better suited" to Burkina Faso’s needs than its traditional ties with France.

In January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), accusing the bloc of being influenced by France.

All three Sahel nations continue to face severe terrorist insurgencies, which began in northern Mali in 2012 and spread to Niger and Burkina Faso by 2015. In Burkina Faso alone, the conflict has displaced approximately two million people and resulted in more than 26,000 deaths, including civilians and soldiers, according to monitoring group ACLED.

To counter the terrorist violence, Moscow has deployed military instructors to Burkina Faso and several other African nations, marking a deepening of Russian influence in the region.