Burkina Faso profile – Timeline

2012 January – President Compaore sacks head of Burkina Faso’s customs service, Ousmane Guiro, following the seizure of nearly $4m in two large suitcases traced by police to Mr Guiro.

2012 November – President Compaore mediates talks to resolve the crisis in Mali, where Islamists have taken control of the north.

2013 April – International Court of Justice in The Hague settles a decades-old border dispute between Niger and Burkina Faso.

2013 July – Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets over plans to create a Senate. Opposition leaders say the move will allow President Compaore to extend his rule.

2014 January – Demonstrators across the country oppose possible plans by President Compaore to prolong his rule.

Defectors from the ruling party found a new political movement to challenge the president.

2014 October – More mass protests against proposed constitutional changes to allow the president another five years in power turn into a mass uprising that drives President Compaore from office.

Military takes charge in move condemned by opposition, civil society groups, United States and African Union.

2014 November – Agreement reached on a framework for a transitional government to run the country until elections proposed for the end of next year. Political and military leaders choose former Foreign Minister Michel Kafando as interim president.

2015 April – Romanian security officer at a mine in the north is kidnapped. Islamist militants later claim to be holding him.

Interim parliament bars politicians allied to deposed president Blaise Compaore from running in the presidential and general elections planned for later in the year year.

2015 May – Work starts on exhuming what is believed to be the body of former leader Thomas Sankara ahead of DNA tests to determine the identity and cause of his death.

2015 September – Acting President Kafando faces down coup attempt by presidential guard allies of Blaise Compaore.

2015 November – Former prime minister Roch Marc Christian Kabore wins presidential election, comfortably beating former Economy and Finance Minister Zephirin Diabre.

2016 January – Islamist militants attack a hotel and cafe in the capital, Ouagadougou, killing 29 people, many of them foreigners.

2016 December – Islamists waving black flags storm a military base near the Mali border and kill 11 soldiers.

2017 February – Five Sahel countries agree to set up a joint counter-terrorism force.

2017 August – 18 people are killed in a terrorist attack on a Turkish restaurant in the capital Ougadougou.

2018 March – French embassy comes under attack. Sixteen people are killed, including eight gunmen.

2020 November – President Kabore wins re-election, although much of the north of the country is unable to vote because of the danger of jihadist attacks.