Youssouf Ouédraogo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Youssouf Ouédraogo
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| Prime Minister of Burkina Faso | |
| In office 16 June 1992 – 22 March 1994 |
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| President | Blaise Compaoré |
| Preceded by | Thomas Sankara |
| Succeeded by | Roch Marc Christian Kaboré |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office January 1999 – June 2007 |
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| President | Blaise Compaoré |
| Prime Minister | Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo Paramanga Ernest Yonli |
| Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Netherlands and European Union | |
| In office March 1994 – January 1999 |
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| President | Blaise Compaoré |
| Special Adviser to the President of African Development Bank | |
| In office September 2007 – 18 November 2017 |
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| President | Donald Kaberuka |
| President of Social and Economic Council | |
| In office April 1989 – May 1992 |
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| Minister of Planning and Cooperation | |
| In office October 1987 – April 1989 |
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| President | Blaise Compaoré |
| Prime Minister | Unoccupied position |
| Minister of Planning and Popular Development | |
| In office August 1984 – October 1987 |
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| President | Thomas Sankara |
| Prime Minister | Unoccupied position |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 December 1952 Tikaré, Burkina Faso |
| Died | 18 November 2017 (aged 64) Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
Youssouf Ouédraogo (born December 25, 1952 – died November 18, 2017) was an important politician from Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa. He made history in 1992 by becoming the first Prime Minister since 1983. He served in this top role from June 16, 1992, to March 22, 1994. Ouédraogo was a member of the ruling political party called the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP). Later, he also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from January 1999 to June 2007.
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Who Was Youssouf Ouédraogo?
Youssouf Ouédraogo was born in a place called Tikaré in Bam Province, Burkina Faso. He studied marketing at universities in France. After finishing his studies, he taught at the University of Ouagadougou starting in 1982.
Early Government Roles
Ouédraogo began his career in government under President Thomas Sankara. On August 31, 1984, he became the Minister of Planning and Popular Development. He held this job for three years. After President Sankara passed away in October 1987, Ouédraogo continued to serve in the government under the new President, Blaise Compaoré. He became the Minister for Plan and Cooperation.
He left this position on April 25, 1989. Then, he became the President of the Economic and Social Council. This council helps advise the government on money and social issues.
Becoming Prime Minister
In May 1992, Ouédraogo was elected to the National Assembly. This is like the parliament or congress in other countries. He represented his home province of Bam. Because of his experience, President Compaoré chose him to be the Prime Minister on June 16, 1992.
As Prime Minister, he worked to help Burkina Faso's economy grow. He talked with important groups like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. These talks aimed to improve the country's financial situation. In January 1994, the value of the local currency, the CFA franc, changed. This caused some disagreements. Ouédraogo tried to reach an agreement with workers' unions to increase salaries. However, the agreement did not work out, and he resigned a few days later, on March 22, 1994.
His Diplomatic Work
After being Prime Minister, Youssouf Ouédraogo started a career in diplomacy. This means he represented Burkina Faso in other countries. He became an Ambassador to several European countries. These included Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg. He also worked with the European Union.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In January 1999, he was called back to Burkina Faso. He was then appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This is a very important role, as he was in charge of how Burkina Faso dealt with other countries. He held this position until June 2007.
While he was Foreign Minister, he did many important things.
- He led negotiations for African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries with the European Commission.
- He represented Africa when the US-Africa Partnership for the 21st Century was launched in 1999. He met with US President Bill Clinton.
- He strongly supported agreements like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This act helps promote trade between the United States and African countries.
- He helped organize important meetings in Burkina Faso. These included a meeting between Africa and the European Union in 2002. He also organized the tenth Francophonie Summit in 2004. This summit brings together countries that speak French.
In the 2007 parliamentary election, Ouédraogo was again elected to the National Assembly. However, in the new government formed in June 2007, he was replaced as Foreign Minister.
Helping Africa Grow
In September 2007, Ouédraogo took on a new role. He became a Special Adviser to the President of the African Development Bank. This bank helps African countries with their development projects. His job was to work on political and diplomatic issues. He helped the bank build stronger relationships with its member countries and other international groups. He also worked to improve partnerships between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2016, he was recognized for his work. He was chosen as an associated member of the Royal Academies for Science and Arts of Belgium. He gave a speech at the official ceremony in Belgium.
His Passing
Youssouf Ouédraogo passed away on November 18, 2017, at the age of 64.
Awards and Honors
- Silver Medal of Burkina Faso Revolution's Torch (1985)
- Grand Officer of the National Order of Burkina Faso (1994)
- Commander-in-chief in the Order of Mono of Togo (2008)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium (2005)
