Kaboré, Roch Marc Christian, 1957–, Burkinabé political leader. Following a career in banking, he joined Blaise Compaoré's government, serving as minister of transport and communications (1989–90) and finance (1992–93) before becoming prime minister (1994–96); he later was president of the national assembly (2002–12). He was a member of Compaoré's Congress for Democracy and Progress until he broke with the president (2014) and formed the People's Movement for Progress. In 2015, after a series of protests led to Compaoré's resignation (2014), Kaboré was elected president of Burkina Faso. His election marked the first time since independence (1960) that power in the country changed hands without a coup. He was reelected in 2020 against divide opposition and with a fifth of polling places closed due to an Islamist insurgency.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: African History: Biographies
