Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in as president of Burkina Faso Wednesday, just weeks after leading a successful coup of the West African country.
The military leader vowed to secure the war-torn country from ongoing violence associated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group fighters, which has led to the deaths of thousands and displaced millions, Reuters reports.
Soldiers seized control of a military base in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou last month over former President Roch Kabore’s handling of the jihadist threat.
Angry soldiers at the Lamizana Sangoule military barracks in the capital fired rounds of ammunition into the air, directing their rage at Kabore.
On Jan. 24, Damiba led the military junta to force out Kabore. The Constitutional Council officially determined that Damiba was president, head of state, and supreme commander of the armed forces.
During last week’s ceremony, Damiba began his speech with a moment of silence for the civilians and soldiers killed in the fight against the radicals.
“To…gain the upper hand over the enemy, it will be necessary… to rise up and convince ourselves that as a nation we have more than what it takes to win this war,” said Damiba.
Earlier this month, Damiba established a 15-person committee tasked with creating a timeline that will help the government transition, according to Al Jazeera.
The council is expected to announce its proposal within a few weeks.
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. It shares a northern border with Mali, which has long battled Islamic extremists.
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