Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo (born 26 December 1980) is a Burkinabe journalist, presenter, and politician who is serving as the 17th prime minister of Burkina Faso since December 2024.
Biography.
Ouédraogo studied at the University of Ouagadougou, obtaining a baccalaureate in sociology, and a master's degree in mediation and conflict management. Ouédraogo completed the exam for the Institute of Technology and Information Sciences in 2006.
Ouédraogo worked as the editor-in-chief, then director of Radio Télévision du Burkina from 2016 to 2021. He hosted several shows, including "Sur la Brèche."
Political career.
Following the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, Ouédraogo was appointed to the post of , , and was made the spokesperson of the Apollinaire J. Kyélem de Tambèla government from 2022 to 2024. As the minister of Communication, Ouédraogo was responsible for the suspension of several French radio and TV outlets, including Radio France Internationale, Jeune Afrique, and Le Monde. France 24 was specifically suspended for airing an interview with Abu Ubaidah Youssef al-Annabi, the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, of which the government of Burkina Faso is at war with
Following the December 2023 cabinet reshuffle, Ouédraogo was also made one of the government's ministers of state.
Ouédraogo was appointed to the post of prime minister on December 7, 2024 after President Ibrahim Traoré dissolved the previous government on December 6, 2024.
Awards.
On December 8, 2023, Ouédraogo was awarded the