VZCZCXRO4210
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHOU #0544/01 1911125
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 101125Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5183
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000544 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/08/2019 
TAGS: MASS MCAPS PREL UV
SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO - TWO IMET GRADUATES PROMOTED TO CHOD AND ARMY 
CHIEF OF STAFF 
 
Classified By: CDA Samuel C. Laeuchli for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  The President of Burkina Faso announced 
on July 8 that he was reshuffling his Joint Chiefs of 
Staff.  The Chief of Defense (CHOD), Brigadier General Ali 
Traore was promoted to Major General and rotated out of his 
CHOD responsibilities, while the Chief of Staff of the Army 
was named as new CHOD.  Colonel Major Lougue was promoted 
to Army Chief of staff. Both the new CHOD and the new Army 
Chief of Staff are graduates of U.S. military programs. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On July 1st, President Compaore announced that Ali 
Traore, current CHOD was promoted from Brigadier to Major 
General.  On July 8 the Presidency subsequently announced 
that following his promotion Traore was relieved of his 
duties as CHOD pending a reassignment.  While no official 
announcement has been made indicating where Traore might be 
re-assigned, rumors are that he may be appointed to an 
Ambassadorship, possibly to a Muslim country, and perhaps 
to Saudi Arabia.  It is thought that the President will 
make the Ambassadorship announcement at a later date. 
Traore was due to retire in the next 18-24 months so this 
change in duty assignment is normal procedure to ensure 
continuity in the Joint Chiefs. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Burkina Faso's military ranks are based on the 
French military system.  A Brigadier General/ General de 
Brigade is a two-star and a Major General / General de 
Division is a three-star. Burkina Faso currently has five 
General Officers broken down as follows: four Brigadier 
Generals and one Major General.  The Burkinabe also have 
the rank of Colonel Major, an intermediary rank between 
Colonel and Brigadier General. 
 
¶4.  (C)  In order to fill the CHOD vacancy, the President 
announced the nomination of current Army Chief of Staff 
Brigadier General Dominique Djendjere to that position. 
Colonel Major Lougue was appointed as the new Army Chief of 
Staff. Biographical information on all three promotions 
follows below.  Djendjere and Lougue are both graduates of 
Internal Military Education Training (IMET) programs in the 
U.S. and speak fluent English. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Ali Traore, Air Force Major General, DOB: 14 
November 1950, Married 
 
1972-1974 Mathematics Degree in France (University of Mans) 
1974-1978 Pilot training in France (Salons de Provence) 
1978-1982 Chief of Operations of Air Base 
1982-1983 Chief of General operations at the Air Base 
1988-1989 Chief of Military Staff of the President of 
Burkina Faso 
1990         War College in France 
1992         Chief of Air Operations at the Joint Staff 
1992-1999 Chief of Staff of the Air Force 
1999-2000 Deputy Chief of Defense 
2000-2009 Chief of Defense 
 
¶6.  (C)  Dominique Djendjere, Army Brigadier General, DOB: 
8 January 1954, Married, three children 
 
1975-1978 Officer training in Morocco (Royal Academy of 
Mecknes) 
1978  Second Lieutenant 
1979-1980 Fort Belvoir, Engineer Officer Basic Course 
1981-1982 Aide de Camp to President Saye Zerbo 
1982-1987 Battalion Unit Commander for Army Corps of 
Engineers 
1987-1989 Commander of the first military region of Burkina 
Faso 
1989-1991 Director of the Army Corps of Engineers 
1991  Fort Leonardwood, Engineer Officer Advance Course 
1992-1994 Commander of the Fourth Military Region of 
Burkina Faso 
1994-1998 Deputy Army Chief of Staff 
1998-1999 French Combined Senior War College 
1999  Army Chief of Staff 
2001  Africa Center for Strategic Studies student / 
ACSS (Accra) 
2003  Africa Center for Strategic Studies student 
(Dakar) 
2004  Africa Center for Strategic Studies student 
(Washington DC) 
 
¶7.  (C)  Kodio Lounge, Colonel Major, DOB: 1957, Married, 
Three children 
 
1976   Officer Candidate School in Algeria 
1977  Second Lieutenant 
1978  Military School in Yaound, Cameroon 
1979-1980 Fort Benning, Infantry Officer Basic Course 
1980-1982 Deputy Commander of Commando Infantry Battalion 
(Thiou) 
1982  Commander of Commando Infantry Battalion (Djibo) 
1983-1984 Deputy Director of Instruction Unit of Armed 
Forces (Bobo) 
1985  Commander of Second military district 
1989  Commander of First military region 
1993  PKO mission in Togo 
1991-1992 Fort Leavenworth, Army Command & General Staff 
1996-1997 French Combined Senior War College 
1997  Chief of Operations Division Joint Chiefs 
1999  Canadian Peace Keeping Training 
1999  Commanding Officer of Central Army Regiment 
2000  National Defense College on India 
2009         Chief of Staff of the Army 
 
 
LAEUCHLI