BURKINA FASO | IOI mourns the passing away of former ombudsman Tiémoko Marc Garango

Born in a rural area of Burkina Faso, Mr. Garango was educated in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and France where he attended top universities in Paris and other cities in order to obtain degrees in political and military science as well as in law. He served with the French army in Indochina and Algeria.

Returning home, he soon became minister of finance and commerce. His strict austerity measures were controversial but he was able to balance the budget for several years. After his career as a minister, Mr Garango served as ambassador in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and several other countries.

When the ombudsman institution was established in Burkina Faso in 1994, it was Mr. Garango’s mission to build up a system of administrative justice and control. Thanks to his dynamism, competence and strong personality Burkina Faso’s ombudsman institution became operational only two years after its creation. Mr. Garango remained in his position as ombudsman until 2000.