Washington, DC - The United States congratulates the people of Burkina Faso and their leaders on the signing of a charter that will guide the transition to a democratically elected government. We congratulate Michel Kafando on being sworn in as interim president of Burkina Faso.

We encourage Mr. Kafando to build on the momentum of the past two weeks and to select individuals to serve in the transitional government who are firmly committed to a democratic, civilian government. We urge Burkina Faso’s armed forces to continue their primary mission to safeguard the territorial integrity of Burkina Faso and the security of its citizens. We reiterate that the role of the civilian transitional government is to ensure effective preparation for national elections in November 2015, as called for by the charter.