List of heads of state of Burkina Faso

{{Infobox official post

| post = President

| body = Burkina Faso

| native_name = {{lang|fr|Président du Burkina Faso}}

| insignia = Presidential Standard of Burkina Faso.svg{{!}}border

| insigniasize = 125px

| insigniacaption = Presidential Standard

| image = Ibrahim Traoré - 2023 (cropped).png

| imagesize = 165px

| incumbent = Ibrahim Traoré
(Interim)

| incumbentsince = 30 September 2022{{NoteTag|As President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration until October 6, when he was additionally sworn in as Interim President{{cite news |title=Traore officially appointed as president of Burkina Faso after coup |url=https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20221006-traore-officially-appointed-as-president-of-burkina-faso-after-coup |access-date=8 October 2022 |work=France24 |date=6 October 2022}}}}

| style = Mr. President
(informal)
His Excellency
(diplomatic)

| type = Head of state
Commander-in-chief

| residence = Kosyam Palace

| seat = Ouagadougou

| appointer = Direct popular vote

| termlength = Five years,

| termlength_qualified = renewable once

| constituting_instrument = Constitution of Burkina Faso

| formation = {{start date and age|df=y|1960|8|5}} (as President of Upper Volta)
{{start date and age|df=y|1984|8|4}} (as President of Burkina Faso)

| succession = President of the National Assembly{{Cite web |url=http://www.primature.gov.bf/republic/statutan.htm |title = L'Assemblée nationale : Création et statut |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010421040254fw_/http://www.primature.gov.bf/republic/statutan.htm |archive-date=21 April 2001 |url-status=dead}}

| inaugural = Maurice Yaméogo (as President of Vpper Volta)
Thomas Sankara (as President of Burkina Faso)

| deputy =

| salary = 858,399 FCFA annually including allowances{{Cite web|url=https://lefaso.net/spip.php?article48307|title=Salaire des agents de l'Etat : Ce que gagnent les hautes personnalités - leFaso.net, l'actualité au Burkina Faso|website=lefaso.net|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=17 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417062607/https://lefaso.net/spip.php?article48307|url-status=live}}

| website = https://www.presidencedufaso.bf/

}}

The president of Burkina Faso ({{langx|fr|Président du Burkina Faso}}) is the head of state of Burkina Faso and as well as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso. It is the highest office in Burkina Faso and has significant executive power, including appointing the prime minister and other government officials. They also have the power to dissolve parliament and issue decrees.

The office was first established in August 1960 as president of Upper Volta ({{langx|fr|Président du Haute-Volta|link=no}}) after the country gained independence from France. Maurice Yaméogo was the first holder of that office. On 4 August 1984, the day before the 24th anniversary of independence, Thomas Sankara, who was the president from exactly one year earlier, became the president of Burkina Faso after the country changed its name the same day.

The president is elected directly to a five-year term. Following ammendments in the constitution in 2000, the president should serve no more than two terms even though the term limit has not been met by any president yet. A total of seven people have served as president of Upper Volta/Burkina Faso (not counting four transitional heads of state/presidents and one acting president in rebellion). The current interim president is Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, who took power during a coup d'état on 30 September 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/heavy-gunfire-heard-burkina-faso-capital-reuters-witnesses-2022-09-30/ |title=Burkina Faso army captain announces overthrow of military government |author1=Thiam Ndiaga |author2=Anne Mimault |work=Reuters |date=30 September 2022 |access-date=30 September 2022}}

Term limits

As of 2021, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Burkina Faso. The term limit has not been met by any president yet.{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Candace |last2=Siegle |first2=Joseph |title=Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa |url=https://africacenter.org/spotlight/circumvention-of-term-limits-weakens-governance-in-africa/ |website=Africa Center for Strategic Studies}}

Titles

1960–1980: President of the Republic
1980–1982: President of Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress
1982: Chairman of Provisional Committee of Popular Salvation
1982–1983: Head of State
1983–1987: Chairman of National Revolutionary Council and Head of State
1987–1991: President of Popular Front and Head of State
1991–2014: President of the Republic
2015: Chairman of National Council for Democracy
2015–2022: President of the Republic
2022–present: President of the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration
2022–present: President of the Republic

List of officeholders

;Political parties

{{legend|{{party color|African Democratic Rally (Burkina Faso)}}|Voltaic Democratic Union – African Democratic Rally (UDV–RDA)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|{{party color|Organization for Popular Democracy – Labour Movement}}|Organization for Popular Democracy – Labour Movement (ODP–MT)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|{{party color|Congress for Democracy and Progress}}|Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|{{party color|People's Movement for Progress}}|People's Movement for Progress (MPP)|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Other factions

{{legend|{{party color|Military rule}}|Military|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|{{party color|Independent politician}}|Independent|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

;Status

{{legend|#E6E6AA|Transitional Head of State/President|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|#C0C0C0|Acting President in dispute|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! rowspan="2" \|{{Abbr\|No.\|Number}} ! rowspan="2" \|Portrait ! rowspan="2" \|Name {{small\|(Birth–Death)}} ! rowspan="2" \|Elected ! colspan="3" \|Term of office ! rowspan="2" \|Political party ! rowspan="2" \|Prime minister(s)
Took office ! Left office ! Time in office
colspan="9" \|Republic of Upper Volta
style="background:{{party color\|African Democratic Rally (Burkina Faso)}}; color:white;"\| 1 \| 90px \| Maurice Yaméogo {{small\|(1921–1993)}} \| 1959 1965 \| {{nowrap\|5 August}} 1960 \| {{nowrap\|3 January}} 1966 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|1960\|08\|05\|1966\|01\|03}} \| UDV–RDA \| Position not established
style="background:{{party color\|Independent politician}}; color:black;"\| 2 \| 90px \| Sangoulé Lamizana {{small\|(1916–2005)}} \| 1978 \| {{nowrap\|3 January}} 1966 \| {{nowrap\|25 November}} 1980 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|1966\|01\|03\|1980\|11\|25}} \| Military / Independent \| Ouédraogo Himself Conombo
style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| 3 \| 90px \| Saye Zerbo {{small\|(1932–2013)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|25 November}} 1980 \| {{nowrap\|7 November}} 1982 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|1980\|11\|25\|1982\|11\|07}} \| Military \| Himself
style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| 4 \| 90px \| Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo {{small\|(born 1942)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|8 November}} 1982 \| {{nowrap\|4 August}} 1983 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|1982\|11\|08\|1983\|08\|04}} \| Military \| Sankara
style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| 5 \| 90px \| Thomas Sankara {{small\|(1949–1987)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|4 August}} 1983 \| {{nowrap\|4 August}} 1984 \| {{age in years\|1983\|08\|04\|1984\|08\|04}} year \| Military \| Position abolished
colspan="9" \|Burkina Faso
style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| {{small\|(5)}} \| 90px \| Thomas Sankara {{small\|(1949–1987)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|4 August}} 1984 \| {{nowrap\|15 October}} 1987 {{small\|(assassinated)}} \| {{ayd\|1984\|08\|04\|1987\|10\|15}} \| Military \| Position abolished
style="background:{{party color\|Congress for Democracy and Progress}}; color:white;"\| 6 \| 90px \| Blaise Compaoré {{small\|(born 1951)}} \| 1991 1998 2005 2010 \| {{nowrap\|15 October}} 1987 \| {{nowrap\|31 October}} 2014 {{small\|(resigned)}} \| {{ayd\|1987\|10\|15\|2014\|10\|31}} \| {{nowrap\|Military / FP}} {{nowrap\|ODP–MT / CDP}} \| Y. Ouédraogo Kaboré K. D. Ouédraogo Yonli Zongo Tiao
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Honoré Traoré {{small\|(born 1957)}} {{small\|claimant}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|31 October}} 2014 \| {{nowrap\|1 November}} 2014 \| {{ayd\|2014\|10\|31\|2014\|11\|01}} \| Military \| Position vacant
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Yacouba Isaac Zida {{small\|(born 1965)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|1 November}} 2014 \| {{nowrap\|18 November}} 2014 \| {{ayd\|2014\|11\|01\|2014\|11\|18}} \| Military {{small\|(RSP)}} \| Position vacant
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Independent politician}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Michel Kafando {{small\|(born 1942)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|18 November}} 2014 \| {{nowrap\|17 September}} 2015 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|2014\|11\|18\|2015\|09\|17}} \| Independent \| Zida
style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Gilbert Diendéré {{small\|(born {{circa}} 1960)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|17 September}} 2015 \| {{nowrap\|23 September}} 2015 {{small\|(junta dissolved)}} \| {{ayd\|2015\|09\|17\|2015\|09\|23}} \| Military {{small\|(RSP)}} \| Position vacant
style="background:#c0c0c0;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Independent politician}}; color:;"\| – \| 90px \| Chérif Sy {{small\|(born 1960)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|17 September}} 2015 \| {{nowrap\|23 September}} 2015 \| {{ayd\|2015\|09\|17\|2015\|09\|23}} \| Independent \| Position vacant
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Independent politician}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Michel Kafando {{small\|(born 1942)}} \| — \| {{nowrap\|23 September}} 2015 {{small\|(restored)}} \| {{nowrap\|29 December}} 2015 \| {{ayd\|2015\|09\|23\|2015\|12\|29}} \| Independent \| Zida
style="background:{{party color\|People's Movement for Progress}}; color:white;"\| 7 \| 90px \| Roch Marc Christian Kaboré {{small\|(born 1957)}} \| 2015 2020 \| {{nowrap\|29 December}} 2015 \| {{nowrap\|24 January}} 2022 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|2015\|12\|29\|2022\|01\|24}} \| MPP \| Thieba Dabiré L. Zerbo
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba {{small\|(born 1981)}} \| – \| {{nowrap\|24 January}} 2022 \| {{nowrap\|30 September}} 2022 {{small\|(deposed)}} \| {{ayd\|2022\|01\|24\|2022\|09\|30}} \| Military \| Ouédraogo
style="background:#e6e6aa;" ! style="background:{{party color\|Military rule}}; color:black;"\| – \| 90px \| Ibrahim Traoré {{small\|(born 1988)}} \| – \| {{nowrap\|30 September}} 2022 \| Incumbent \| {{ayd\|2022\|09\|30}} \| Military \| Tambèla J. E. Ouédraogo

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan="2" |{{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan="2" |Portrait

! rowspan="2" |Name
{{small|(Birth–Death)}}

! rowspan="2" |Elected

! colspan="3" |Term of office

! rowspan="2" |Political party

! rowspan="2" |Prime minister(s)

Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

colspan="9" |Republic of Upper Volta

style="background:{{party color|African Democratic Rally (Burkina Faso)}}; color:white;"| 1

List of heads of state of Burkina Faso

Term limits

Titles

List of officeholders

Timeline

Latest election

See also

Notes

References

External links