List of Presidents of Burkina Faso: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Burkina Faso from 1960 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Burkina Faso, former leaders, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Burkina Faso: Ibrahim Traoré (in office since 2022).

Presidents of Burkina Faso in order, with years in office

Maurice Yaméogo

Served: 1960–1966

First president of independent Upper Volta; forced to resign after a general strike and the coup of 3 January 1966.

Sangoulé Lamizana

Served: 1966–1980

Army chief who took power in January 1966 and ruled until he was deposed in November 1980.

Saye Zerbo

Served: 1980–1982

Took power in a coup in 1980 and was deposed in November 1982.

Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo

Served: 1982–1983

Military doctor who led the country for 268 days before being deposed in August 1983.

Thomas Sankara

Served: 1983–1987

Took power in August 1983, renamed the country Burkina Faso in 1984, and was assassinated on 15 October 1987.

Blaise Compaoré

Served: 1987–2014

Ruled for 27 years and resigned on 31 October 2014 after mass protests.

Michel Kafando

Served: 2014–2015

Diplomat who led the civilian transition; briefly removed in a coup in September 2015 and restored on 23 September.

Gilbert Diendéré

Served: 2015

Led the September 2015 coup and stepped down after six days.

Roch Marc Christian Kaboré

Served: 2015–2022

Elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2020; deposed in a coup on 24 January 2022.

Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba

Served: 2022

Lieutenant-colonel who deposed Kaboré in January 2022 and was himself deposed in September 2022.

Ibrahim Traoré

Served: 2022–present

Army captain who took power on 30 September 2022 and serves as interim president.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Burkina Faso

Who is the current president of Burkina Faso?

The current president of Burkina Faso is Ibrahim Traoré, in office since 2022.

Who were the previous presidents of Burkina Faso?

The presidents and heads of state of Burkina Faso listed on this page, in order, are: Maurice Yaméogo, Sangoulé Lamizana, Saye Zerbo, Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, Thomas Sankara, Blaise Compaoré, Michel Kafando, Gilbert Diendéré, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, Ibrahim Traoré.

Who was the first president of Burkina Faso?

Maurice Yaméogo was the first president of Burkina Faso, in office 1960–1966.

Sources: Wikipedia, List of heads of state of Burkina Faso and Maurice Yaméogo; Wikipedia, 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état (checked Nov 2026). Includes transitional and military heads of state; a claimant who held office for about a day in October 2014 is not listed.. Last reviewed November 2026.

Presidents of other Africa countries

Presidents of Algeria · Presidents of Angola · Presidents of Benin · Presidents of Botswana · Presidents of Burundi · Presidents of Cameroon · Presidents of Cape Verde · Presidents of Central African Republic · Presidents of Chad · Presidents of Comoros · Presidents of Democratic Republic of the Congo · Presidents of Djibouti · Presidents of Egypt · Presidents of Equatorial Guinea · Presidents of Eritrea · Presidents of Ethiopia · Presidents of Gabon · Presidents of Gambia · Presidents of Ghana · Presidents of Guinea · Presidents of Guinea-Bissau · Presidents of Ivory Coast · Presidents of Kenya · Presidents of Liberia · Presidents of Libya · Presidents of Madagascar · Presidents of Malawi · Presidents of Mali · Presidents of Mauritania · Presidents of Mauritius · Presidents of Mozambique · Presidents of Namibia · Presidents of Niger · Presidents of Nigeria · Presidents of Republic of the Congo · Presidents of Rwanda · Presidents of São Tomé and Príncipe · Presidents of Senegal · Presidents of Seychelles · Presidents of Sierra Leone · Presidents of Somalia · Presidents of South Africa · Presidents of South Sudan · Presidents of Sudan · Presidents of Tanzania · Presidents of Togo · Presidents of Tunisia · Presidents of Uganda · Presidents of Zambia · Presidents of Zimbabwe · All Africa presidents · All countries A–Z