OUAGADOUGOu: Burkina Faso's government and Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba stood down on Friday, according to a statement released by the country´s president.

No explanation was given for the resignations, though sources told AFP President Roch Marc Christian Kabore wants to breathe new life into the leadership of the landlocked west African country, which is battling a rising wave of jihadist attacks and hostage-taking.

Canadian Edith Blais, 34, and her Italian partner Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing since mid-December, and late Wednesday a Canadian geologist kidnapped by suspected jihadists was found dead at a remote gold mine in the northeast.

"Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba submitted this afternoon his resignation as well as that of his government," the statement said. "The president of Faso accepted the resignation" and expressed "all his gratitude to Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and all its ministers for their commitment to the service of the nation," the statement added.

President Kabore chose experienced economist Thieba as prime minister in January 2016. However, in recent months several political opponents have been calling for his resignation and that of ministers in charge of security and defence.

Burkina Faso lies in the heart of the vast Sahel region, which is struggling with a bloody Islamist insurgency. </s> The cabinet of Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Kabore resigned on Friday, according to a statement read on national television, which gave no explanation for the move.

OUAGADOUGOU: The cabinet of Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Kabore resigned on Friday, according to a statement read on national television, which gave no explanation for the move.

Kabore accepted the resignations, the statement said, and is expected to form a new government soon.

Attacks by Islamist militants have surged in the previously peaceful West African country in recent months. A state of emergency has been in effect since Dec. 31 in several northern provinces near the borders with Mali and Niger. </s> Burkina Faso’s government and Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba have resigned on Friday, according to a statement released by the country’s president.

No explanation was given for the resignations, though sources told AFP President Roch Marc Christian Kabore wants to breathe new life into the leadership of the landlocked west African country, which is battling a rising wave of jihadist attacks and hostage-taking.

Canadian Edith Blais, 34, and her Italian partner Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing since mid-December, and late Wednesday a Canadian geologist kidnapped by suspected jihadists was found dead at a remote gold mine in the northeast.

“Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba submitted this afternoon his resignation as well as that of his government,” the statement said.

“The president of Faso accepted the resignation” and expressed “all his gratitude to Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and all its ministers for their commitment to the service of the nation,” the statement added.

President Kabore chose experienced economist Thieba as prime minister in January 2016. However, in recent months several political opponents have been calling for his resignation and that of ministers in charge of security and defence.

The region turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness after chaos engulfed Libya in 2011.

An Islamist insurgency began in northern Mali, while Boko Haram rose in northern Nigeria.

Jihadist raids began in northern Burkina Faso in 2015 before spreading to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin. </s> Burkina Faso’s government and Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba have resigned, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said.

In a post on Twitter, Kabore said: “This afternoon I received the resignation of Prime Minister Paul Kaba Katy and his government. I thank them and congratulate them on their commitment to my side”.

No explanation was given for the resignations.

However, the AFP said the resignation could have been informed by Kabore’s plan to breathe new life into the leadership of the country, which is battling a rising wave of jihadist attacks and hostage-taking.

Canadian Edith Blais, 34, and her Italian partner Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing since mid-December, and late Wednesday a Canadian geologist kidnapped by suspected jihadists was found dead at a remote gold mine in the northeast.

President Kabore chose experienced economist Thieba as prime minister in January 2016. However, in recent months several political opponents have been calling for his resignation and that of ministers in charge of security and defence.

Burkina Faso lies in the heart of the vast Sahel region, which is struggling with a bloody Islamist insurgency.

The region turned into a hotbed of violent extremism and lawlessness after chaos engulfed Libya in 2011.

An Islamist insurgency began in northern Mali, while Boko Haram rose in northern Nigeria.

Jihadist raids began in northern Burkina Faso in 2015 before spreading to the east, near the border with Togo and Benin. </s> OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - The cabinet of Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Kabore resigned on Friday, according to a statement read on national television, which gave no explanation for the move.

Kabore accepted the resignations, the statement said, and is expected to form a new government soon.

Attacks by Islamist militants have surged in the previously peaceful West African country in recent months. A state of emergency has been in effect since Dec. 31 in several northern provinces near the borders with Mali and Niger. </s> No explanation was provided for the sudden resignation, which was made public in a televised statement by the nation's president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

"Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba submitted this afternoon his resignation as well as that of his government," the president reported. Kabore expressed "gratitude to Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and all its ministers for their commitment to the service of the nation."

Thieba became the prime minister of the African nation in January 2016.

Recent disappearances of foreign nationals and jihadist attacks by Ansar ul Islam and the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, affiliated al-Qaeda, led to growing pressure for Thieba's resignation in recent weeks, according to BBC.

Canadian Edith Blais, 34, and her Italian companion Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing in the country since mid-December. The two were traveling by car in Burkina Faso between the town of Bobo-Dioulasso and the capital Ouagadougou when they went missing. According to AFP, Blais and Tacchetto were working on a reforestation project with aid group Zion'Gaia

On Wednesday, Canadian geologist Kirk Woodman, believed to be kidnapped by jihadists in the country, was found dead in a gold mine in the country's northeast region.

The Canadian citizen was abducted by gunmen on a mining site owned by Vancouver-based Progress Minerals, located about 20 kilometres away from Mansila in the Yagha province, according to a spokesperson for the West African nation's security ministry.

Last week, Burkina Faso authorities extended a state of emergency in several northern provinces over increased activities of Islamist groups in the region. The state of emergency was first declared by the president on December 31.

Over recent years, Burkina Faso, a landlocked country in West Africa, has seen an increase in Islamist militant activity by groups in the region linked to al-Qaeda. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Prime Minister Thieba has been under pressure over a surge in militancy

The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Paul Kaba Thieba, has resigned from office along with his entire cabinet.

No reason was given for the move, which was announced in a televised statement by the country's president.

Mr Thieba, a former economist, had held the position since January 2016 when he was nominated by President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

His government has faced growing pressure over a rise in the number of kidnappings and jihadist attacks.

Recent high-profile disappearances of foreign nationals have led to direct calls for Mr Thieba's resignation, as well as that of his defence and security ministers.

In his statement, President Kabore expressed his gratitude for their service. He said he hoped to form a new government soon.

A 34-year-old Canadian woman, Edith Blais, and an Italian man, Luca Tacchetto, 30, have been missing in the country since mid-December.

The pair were travelling to Togo to work with an aid group when they disappeared.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland met with the 34-year-old's family on Friday, one day after the announcement another missing Canadian had been found dead.

Kirk Woodman, a geologist, was abducted by gunmen on Tuesday night from a mine exploration camp in the country's north.

Image copyright Facebook/LinkedIn Image caption A photo of missing Luca Tacchetto (left) and Edith Blais (centre) and Kirk Woodman (right) who has been found dead

No one has so far claimed responsibility for his murder, but groups linked to al-Qaeda are known to operate in the area.

Burkina Faso, a poor land-locked nation in Africa's Sahel region, has seen a surge in Islamist militant activity in recent years.

There have been deadly attacks on a cafe and the French embassy in the country's capital, Ouagadougou.

Several northern provinces in its border regions have been under a state of emergency since 31 December. </s> Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Saturday received at the presidential palace in Ouagadougou the... </s> (CNN) Mali's Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga and his entire government have resigned, said the country's secretary general in a statement.

The mass resignation was accepted by President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who offered thanks for "loyalty" and "high sense of duty," said the statement released Thursday.

After stepping down, Maïga took to Twitter to express his gratitude to the president for having permitted him and his government to "serve our country and our citizens" in a "crucial time in history."

The resignations took place in accordance with Article 38 of the Malian Constitution, which states that the president "shall put an end to the Prime Minister's functions on presentation by the Prime Minister of the resignation of the Cabinet."

A new prime minister is expected to be named soon and a government installed once consultation with all political forces in the country takes place.

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President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kaboré announces in a televised statement that Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba and the cabinet have resigned from their positions effective immediately. No reason is given.