In the Sahel region, the post-premiership paths of Kyelem de Tambèla in Burkina Faso and Choguel Maïga in Mali highlight starkly contrasting trajectories for former transitional leaders.
Both men served as prime ministers under transitional regimes, yet their fortunes have diverged sharply.
On August 13, 2025, Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers appointed Kyelem de Tambèla as president of the Farafina Institute of Black Peoples (IPN-Farafina).
This comes eight months after he stepped down from the prime minister’s office in December 2024, where he had served under President Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The institute, re-established in May 2025, embodies Burkina Faso’s policy of cultural sovereignty.
Described by the government as a “pan-African structure with scientific, ideological, diplomatic, and cultural vocations,” the IPN-Farafina has legal personality and managerial autonomy. Its mission is to promote pan-Africanism, conduct research on issues affecting Black peoples, and train future leaders with a sovereignist perspective.
In contrast, Choguel Maïga in Mali is navigating a far more precarious situation. On August 12, 2025, he was taken into custody by the National Economic and Financial Center (Pôle National Économique et Financier) in Bamako, following hearings on August 1.
Authorities are investigating his management of the Universal Access Fund (AGEFAU) and administrative operations during his term as prime minister.
The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) report cites excessive spending and irregularities in the awarding of contracts under Maïga’s leadership.
He was detained alongside several former colleagues, including Professor Issiaka Ahmadou Singaré and three former administrative and financial directors of the Prime Minister’s Office. Before his dismissal in November 2024, Maïga had openly criticized the extension of the transitional period without government consultation.
These divergent paths illustrate broader trends in the Sahel. In Burkina Faso, former leaders may transition into roles that leverage their expertise to advance cultural and intellectual priorities. In Mali, accountability mechanisms are emphasised, with legal scrutiny ensuring financial transparency.
Meanwhile, Niger continues its own political trajectory under Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, appointed following the August 2023 military takeover led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Together, these cases highlight the contrasting ways transitional regimes in the Sahel manage former leaders, balancing expertise, political loyalty, and institutional accountability.
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