Christophe Dabire appointed as Burkina Faso PM amid surge in violence

Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Kabore on Monday named Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire, a former health minister and regional monetary union official, as his new prime minister, the presidency said in a statement. The previous cabinet, led by Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba, resigned on Friday amid deteriorating security along its borders with Mali and Niger.

Repeated attacks by Islamist militants prompted the government last month to declare states of emergency in several regions, and a Canadian mineworker was found dead in the northeast last week after being abducted. Dabire is expected to name his cabinet in the coming days.