Apollinaire Kyélem de Tambèla

Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla (French: [apolinɛʁ ʒoakim kjelɛm də tɑ̃bɛla]; born 11 June 1955) is a Burkinabe lawyer, pan-Africanist, writer and statesman, who served as the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso from October 2022 until his firing by President Ibrahim Traoré in December 2024.

== Early life and education ==

Kyélem de Tambèla was born in Burkina Faso in 1955. After completing his early education in Burkina Faso, he went on to study in France, where he received his doctorate of law in 1986 from the University of Nice. He taught as a professor at the University of Ouagadougou and the National School of Administration and Magistrates (ENAM).

== Political career ==

As a student in France in the 1980s, Tambèla founded a branch of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) in Nice, Côte-d’Azur to defend and financially support the revolutionary struggle abroad waged by Thomas Sankara. During this period, he also organized with left-wing groups: The National Union of Students of France (UNEF) and the Union of Communist Students. Prior to entering politics, Tambèla built a career as a lawyer and later as a television personality. He gained popularity among the public...