Youssouf Ouédraogo

Youssouf Ouédraogo
Special Adviser to the President of African Development Bank
Assumed office
September 2007
President Donald Kaberuka
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
January 1999 – June 2007
President Blaise Compaoré
Prime Minister Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo then Paramanga Ernest Yonli
Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Netherlands and European Union
In office
March 1994 – January 1999
President Blaise Compaoré
Prime Minister of Burkina Faso
In office
16 June 1992 – 22 March 1994
President Blaise Compaoré
Preceded by First in charge
Succeeded by Roch Marc Christian Kaboré
President of Social and Economic Council
In office
April 1989 – May 1992
Minister of Planning and Cooperation
In office
October 1987 – April 1989
President Blaise Compaoré
Prime Minister Unoccupied position
Minister of Planning and Popular Development
In office
August 1984 – October 1987
President Thomas Sankara
Prime Minister Unoccupied position
Personal details
Born 25 December 1949

Youssouf Ouédraogo (born December 25, 1949[1]) is a Burkinabe politician. In 1992 he became the first Prime Minister of Burkina Faso since 1983, serving from June 16, 1992 to March 22, 1994. Ouédraogo, a member of the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), later served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from January 1999 to June 2007.

Biography

Ouédraogo was born in Tikaré, in Bam Province. Under Thomas Sankara, Ouédraogo was appointed to the government as Minister of Planning and Popular Development on August 31, 1984, remaining in that position for three years. Shortly after Sankara was assassinated in October 1987, Ouédraogo became Minister for the Plan and Cooperation under Blaise Compaoré. He left that position on April 25, 1989 and became President of the Economic and Social Council,[2] in which position he served until he was elected to the National Assembly as a deputy from Bam[1][2] in the May 1992 parliamentary election.[1] He was appointed as Prime Minister by Compaoré on June 16, 1992.[2]

The CFA franc was devaluated in January 1994, and this was followed by controversy.[2][3] Ouédraogo signed an agreement with trade unions to raise salaries on March 12, 1994, but the agreement fell through and Ouédraogo resigned a few days later.[3] He then served as Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and the European Union[1] before being appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in January 1999.[2][4]

Ouédraogo was elected to the National Assembly again in the 2007 parliamentary election as a candidate of the CDP from Bam Province.[5] In the government of Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, which was appointed on June 10, 2007, he was replaced as Foreign Minister by Djibrill Bassolé.[6] He subsequently became Special Adviser to the President of the African Development Bank.[7]

Political career

He obtained a degree in marketing[8] at the Universities of Dijon, Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon III (France). He taught at the University of Ouagadougou from 1982.[9]

Under Thomas Sankara (President of Burkina Faso from 1983 to 1987), Ouédraogo was appointed to the government as Minister of Planning and Popular Development on August 31, 1984,[10] remaining in that position for three years. Shortly after Sankara was assassinated in October 1987, Ouédraogo became Minister for the Plan and Cooperation under Blaise Compaoré. He left that position on April 25, 1989 and became President of the Economic and Social Council, in which position he served until he was elected to the National Assembly as a deputy from Bam in the May 1992 parliamentary election. He was appointed as Prime Minister by Compaoré on June 16, 1992.

He promoted reforms favorable to the private sector. He entered into negotiations with the IMF and the World Bank to reach agreements on structural adjustment.[11] The CFA franc was devaluated in January 1994, and this was followed by controversy. Ouédraogo signed an agreement with trade unions to raise salaries on March 12, 1994, but the agreement fell through and Ouédraogo resigned a few days later.[12]

Diplomacy

He also had a diplomatic career. He served as Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg and the European Union[13] before being appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in January 1999.[14]

Chairman of the African Group of Ambassadors Committee - Caribbean - Pacific (ACP), he is one of the main negotiators in front of the European Commission at the renewal of the Fourth Geneva Convention governing the ACP-EU Partnership for the period 1995-1999.[15]

Recalled to Burkina Faso in January 1999,[16] he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held until 2007.[17]

He represented Africa at the launch in March 1999 of the US - Africa Partnership for 21st century,[18] with President Bill Clinton. At this time the Burkina Faso held the presidency of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). He strongly supported the preferential agreement proposed by the United States to promote trade relations with Africa (AGOA) and the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.[19] He also organized Burkina second ministerial meeting implementation of the Africa - European Union (2002),[20] and the tenth Francophonie Summit (2004).[21]

Ouédraogo was elected to the National Assembly again in the 2007 parliamentary election as a candidate of the CDP from Bam Province. In the government of Prime Minister Tertius Zongo, which was appointed on June 10, 2007, he was replaced as Foreign Minister by Djibrill Bassolé.

International organisations

In September 2007, he became Special Adviser to the President of the African Development Bank.[22] He was in charge of political and diplomatic issues. He was appointed to this position to deepen and/or expand the partnership between the Bank and its Member States,[23] Regional Economic Communities and international institutions. He also defends a stronger partnership between the Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa.[24]

Decorations


- Silver Medal, (today, Command-officer) of Burkina Faso Revolution's Torch (August 4th 1985)
- Title of Grand Officer of the National Order of Burkina Faso (December 11th 1994)
- Commander-in-chief in the Order of Mono of Togo (March 1st 2008)
- Title of Grand Officer of the Ordrer of the Crown of Belgium (July 22nd 2005)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Profile at petiteacademie.gov.bf (French).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Jean-Pierre Bejot, "Youssouf Ouédraogo, patron de la diplomatie burkinabè", lefaso.net, November 3, 2003 (French).
  3. 1 2 "Mar 1994 – New Government", Keesing's Record of World Events, volume 40, March 1994, Burkina, page 39,898.
  4. ↑ "Le gouvernement du Burkina Faso, formé le 14 janvier 1999", Afrique Express (French).
  5. ↑ List of candidates elected to the National Assembly in 2007 at the Wayback Machine (archived August 8, 2007), National Assembly website (French).
  6. ↑ "Le nouveau gouvernement reste dominé par le parti au pouvoir", AFP, June 11, 2007 (French).
  7. ↑ Stéphane Ballong, "Sommet du G-20 : « il n’y aura pas de solution globale sans l’Afrique »", Afrik.com, November 14, 2008 (French).
  8. ↑ « Sommet du G-20 : « il n’y aura pas de solution globale sans l’Afrique » » , on afrik.com, 14/11/2008
  9. ↑ « Youssouf Ouedraogo », on forum-ameriques.org
  10. ↑ « Youssouf Ouedraogo », on http://fr.allafrica.com/ [archive]
  11. ↑ « Burkina », on afriquepluriel.net
  12. ↑ « Youssouf Ouedraogo patron de la diplomatie Burkinabé », on lefaso.net
  13. ↑ « Présentation des lettres de créance des chefs de mission à Jacques Delors, président de la CE », on ec.europa.eu
  14. ↑ « Léger remaniement ministériel au Burkina-Fasso » , on panapress.com
  15. ↑ « La Francophonie invitée à soutenir les producteurs africains de coton », on coton-acp.org
  16. ↑ « Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo reconduit comme Premier ministre », on afrique-express.com
  17. ↑ « Le Gouvernement du Fasso »
  18. ↑ « Un pacte de partenariat avec les pays d'Afrique centrale est proposé par la Belgique au cours du débat général de l'assemblée générale »
  19. ↑ « Compaore adoubé par Washington »
  20. ↑ « Conférence ministérielle Afrique-Europe à Ouagadougou »
  21. ↑ « Youssouf Ouédraogo en Belgique »
  22. ↑ « Youssouf Ouedraogo à la BAD »
  23. ↑ « Youssouf Ouédraogo: Conseiller spécial du président de la BAD »
  24. ↑ « L’Afrique subsaharienne, un relais de croissance pour le Maghreb, selon la BAD »
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