Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba

Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba (French: [pɔl ɑ̃ʁi sɑ̃daɔɡɔ damiba]; born January 1981) is a Burkinabé military officer who served as interim president of Burkina Faso from 31 January 2022 to 30 September 2022, when he was removed in a coup d'état by his own military colleague, Ibrahim Traoré. Damiba had come to power just eight months earlier, on 24 January 2022, when he removed president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in a coup.

== Early life and education ==

Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba graduated from the École militaire in Paris. During his studies, he met with future Guinean president Mamady Doumbouya, who was also training there. He holds a master's degree in criminology from the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) in Paris and a defense expert certification in management, command and strategy. From 2010 to 2020, he held training exercises in the United States.

== Military career ==

Damiba is a lieutenant colonel and commander of the third military region covering Ouagadougou, Manga, Koudougou and Fada N'gourma. He is a former member the Regiment of Presidential Security, the former presidential guard of Blaise Compaoré. Damiba left the RSP in 2011 after an army mutiny.

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