Ouagadougou: The new government of Burkina Faso, announced on Monday evening, has undergone a reorganization, reducing the number of ministerial departments from 24 to 22, with four notable departures and two new appointments. The restructuring involves significant mergers and name changes within the ministries.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Rural Development has been merged with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning to create the Ministry of National Development. Similarly, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Resources and Fisheries has combined with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Sanitation to form the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Animal Resources and Fisheries. These changes have resulted in the departure of Luc Adama Sorgho and Roger Baro, while Mikailou Sidib and Commander Isma«l Sombi have seen expansions in their roles.

Further adjustments include the replacement of Roland Somda (Sports) and Boubakar Savadogo by Annick Lydie Djouma Pikbougoum/Zingu Ouattara and Moumouni Zoungrana, respectively. The reshuffle is also notable for the renaming of certain ministries. The Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Protection is now the Ministry of Servants of the People, while the Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs has been renamed the Ministry of War and Patriotic Defense.

Additionally, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, responsible for Relations with Institutions and the Keeper of the Seals, is now simply the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, and Burkinab¨ Abroad is shortened to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity is now called the Ministry of Family and Solidarity. This ministerial reshuffle takes place almost a year after Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Oudraogo assumed office.