Michel Kafando

Michel Kafando
Kafando in 2015
President of Burkina Faso
Interim
In office
23 September 2015 – 29 December 2015
Prime MinisterYacouba Isaac Zida
Preceded byGilbert Diendéré (as Chairman of the National Council for Democracy)
Chérif Sy (Acting)
Succeeded byRoch Marc Christian Kaboré
In office
18 November 2014 – 17 September 2015
Prime MinisterYacouba Isaac Zida
Preceded byYacouba Isaac Zida
Succeeded byGilbert Diendéré (as Chairman of the National Council for Democracy)
Chérif Sy (Acting)
Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the United Nations
In office
15 April 1998 – 5 July 2011
PresidentBlaise Compaoré
Preceded byGaëtan Rimwanguiya Ouédraogo[1]
Succeeded byDer Kogda
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
30 September 1982 – 4 August 1983[2]
PresidentSaye Zerbo
Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo
Preceded byFélix Tientarboum
Succeeded byHama Arba Diallo
Personal details
Born (1942-08-18) 18 August 1942 (age 82)
Ouagadougou, Upper Volta
(now Burkina Faso)[2]
SpouseMarie Kafando
Alma materUniversity of Bordeaux
Sciences Po
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Paris-Sorbonne University

Michel Kafando (born 18 August 1942) is a Burkinabé diplomat who served as the transitional President of Burkina Faso from 2014[3] to 2015. He served in the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1982 to 1983 and was the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) of Burkina Faso to the United Nations from 1998 to 2011.[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.

Kafando was briefly ousted by the Regiment of Presidential Security in a September 2015 coup, but he was restored to power within a week.

  1. ^ "Secretary-General Meets with Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso", unmultimedia.org
  2. ^ a b "Diplomatie : Michel Kafando quitte New York après une longue carrière ", lefaso.net
  3. ^ "Michel Kafando, Président de la Transition", Burkina24, 17 November 2014.
  4. ^ "New Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso presents credentials", United Nations press release, BIO/3152, 15 April 1998.