Blaise Compaore Ousted as Burkina Faso’s President

The 27-year rule of Burkina Faso’s president Blaise Compaoré ended on 10/31/2014, with the announcement by the head of the African nation’s armed forces that an interim government will take over. General Honoré Traoré announced that “A return to the constitutional order is expected in no more than 12 months.” The New York Times reports that Traoré has since announced that he will be the one in charge.

In the wake of a week of rioting aimed at preventing Compaoré from amending the constitution so that he could seek another term of office, Traoré imposed a nationwide curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thousands of demonstrators stormed the country’s parliament in the capital Ouagadougou on Thursday, setting it on fire to prevent the vote on amending the constitution to Compaoré’s benefit from taking place.

Compaoré, who was known as “Beau Blaise” (Handsome Blaise), became president of Burkina Faso in 1987 after a coup in which his predecessor, Thomas Sankara, was assassinated. Compaoré was blamed by many for Sankara’s death.

Eventually, he was able to reinvent himself into somewhat of a peacemaker in the region. He became increasingly unpopular, however, due to his failure to improve the cotton and gold-producing nation’s economy.

French President Francois Hollande said on Friday that Compaoré’s resignaton was welcomed by France and that it would allow “for a way out of the crisis” in the former French colony. He called for “calm and restraint from everyone involved,” adding that “France recalls its attachment to the Constitution and therefore to the quick holding of democratic elections.”

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