Abstract
This paper first discusses the actual sequence of events that led to the fall of the President Blaise Compaore in Burkina Faso in October 2014. We then identify some deeper trends that weakened the regime, including the dilemma of succession in a semi-authoritarian regime, the rise of youth and cultural elites as opposition actors who placed themselves beyond the reach of regime co-optation, and the use of Sankara imagery as a tool of mobilization. We then jointly analyse two features of the transition and the current regime of Lt-Col Isaac Yacouba Zida who, despite being only prime minister, appears to be the country’s new strongman. The first is the relative institutional uncertainty that accompanied the fall of the Compaore regime and which continues to hamper the transition. The second is the enduring role of the military in Burkinabe politics. We conclude by singling out some implications of the transition and the challenges ahead.
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