Wikipedia

Olivia Rouamba

Olivia Ragnaghnewendé Rouamba is a Burkina Faso politician who was the nation's Minister of Foreign Affairs from March 2022 to December 2023.

Olivia Rouamba
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
March 2022 – December 2023
PresidentPaul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba
Ibrahim Traoré
Prime MinisterAlbert Ouédraogo
Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla
Preceded byRosine Sori-Coulibaly
Succeeded byKaramoko Jean-Marie Traoré
Personal details
OccupationPolitician

Education

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Rouamba has a doctorate in international relations.[1]

Career

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Rouamba worked Director General of Bilateral Cooperation[2] and was Second Counselor at Burkina Faso's embassy in South Africa.[1] On 15 September 2021 Rouamba was appointed by the Council of Ministers as Burkina Faso's ambassador to Ethiopia, as well as Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.[2][3]

Rouamba was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs by interim President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba on 5 March 2022 as part of the transitional government following the January coup.[4][5] She was installed in Ouagadougou on 11 March 2022.[6] In her speech upon taking office, she said "Dear collaborators, I refuse to be traitors, we will refuse to be traitors and we will accomplish this mission with abnegation."[2]

In March and again in April, she said that a three year transition period back to democracy proposed by the military junta was "realistic".[7][8] In July, she said that the two-year period had been suggested by the nation's junta rather than imposed by ECOWAS "as some are saying on the internet."[9] On 15 July, United Nations Peacebuilding Commission Chair Rahab Fatima met with Rouamba, affirming the ECOWAS timetable and strongly encouraging Burkina Faso to "swiftly implement ... a peaceful and inclusive transition process with respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law."[10]

A decree read on national television announced Rouamba was fired as foreign minister on 17 December 2023 following a "mini-reshuffle" led by Burkinabé president Ibrahim Traoré. She was replaced by Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, who was the minister delegate for regional cooperation at the time. Analysts said her sacking came as a surprise, since she was said to be in Traoré's "close circle".[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kponsou, Eric (July 2022). "Burkina-Faso : Mme Olivia ROUAMBA à la mesure du concept diplomatique". Miroir D'Afrique. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Nanema, Hamed (March 2022). "ACTUALITÉS :: INSTALLATION DU MINISTRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES : « JE REFUSE D'ÊTRE TRAÎTRE (...)" (in French). lefaso.net. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Ambassade du Burkina Faso à Addis-Abeba : Madame Olivia R. ROUAMBA dit au revoir au personnel" (in French). Les Echoes du Faso's. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Burkina: la ministre Olivia Ragnaghnewendé Rouamba décline ses priorités à la Diplomatie" (in French). Wakat Sera. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Burkina Faso names government following January coup". Borneo Bulletin. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  6. ^ Tapsoba, Abdoul Karim. "Burkina Faso : La patronne de la diplomatie, Olivia Rouamba, as pris fonction". Quotidien Numérique d'Afrique.
  7. ^ "Burkina Faso Minister:36 Months 'Realistic' for Transition to Democracy". US News. Reuters. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Burkina Faso junta defends three-year plan for transition to constitutional rule". France 24. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  9. ^ "FM says two-year civilian rule timeline Burkina Faso's proposal". Africa News. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  10. ^ United Nations Secretary General (19 July 2022). "Note to Correspondents – Statement by the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission on Burkina Faso". United Nations. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Burkina Faso's military leader sacks foreign minister". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
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