Burkina coup leader to be sworn in as transition president Friday

Burkina Faso’s new strongman will be inaugurated president of the transition Friday (Oct 21).

The constitutional council announced Wednesday (October 19) as it "made a formal note of the resignation" of Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

Coup leader captain Traoré served as head of the junta since September 30 when he ousted Damiba

The 34-year-old will become Burkina Faso’s new leader according to the transition charter which was adopted by the national forum on October 14.

Traoré was unanimously named "president of the transition, head of state, and supreme chief of the national armed forces" by some 300 people tasked with charting the transition.

The charter stipulates that "the term of the president of the transition will end" once the leader elected after the 2024 presidential race will be sworn in. Adding that "the president of the transition is not eligible for the upcoming elections".

Burkina has been grappling with a deadly jihadist insurgency.