career diplomat Michel Kafando as Burkina Faso's interim president following the ousting of its veteran leader.
AU
chief Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma praised the people of the west African
state "for their political maturity and sense of responsibility", and
called for "a smooth transition under the direction of civil
authorities".
The appointment
of the former foreign minister and UN ambassador is set to end weeks of
uncertainty in the impoverished country after mass protests toppled the
27-year regime of president Blaise Compaore and the military seized
power.
The naming of the
interim leader came ahead of a two-week deadline the AU had given the
country's army to return the state to civilian rule.
Dlamini-Zuma
said she "welcomes the restoration of the constitution" and the
"significant progress" made towards civilian rule, repeating the AU's
committment and support to the country.
The 54-member bloc also called on the international community to support efforts to "deepen democracy" in the country.
Kafando,
who will have to be confirmed by the Constitutional Council, previously
served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations from 1998 to
2011. He was also Burkina Faso's foreign affairs minister between 1981
and 1982.
Mass unrest erupted
in Burkina Faso in late October over ex-president Blaise Compaore's bid
to change the constitution, which would have allowed him to extend his
27-year rule of the landlocked former French colony.
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