Political situation
After the coup d'état of 30 September 2022 that overthrew Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, Captain Ibrahim Traoré was sworn in as the new transitional president on 21 October 2022. The Transition Charter was amended and adopted on 25 May 2024. According to the new text, the duration of the transition is extended by five years, starting on July 2, 2024.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been the target of terrorist attacks that cause population displacement. While there were fewer than 50,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in January 2019, the country had recorded 2.01 million as of March 30, 2023 (the latest census), according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. According to the government, more than one million IDPs have been resettled in about 700 localities in the country.
The health and education sectors have been strongly impacted. On 16 September 2023, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger created the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) to pool their efforts against terrorism. These countries have also decided to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on January 28, 2024, citing a lack of solidarity in their fight against terrorism. In March 2025, the three countries announced their withdrawal from the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
