Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso ( CNN ) -- In the latest shake-up following weeks of popular unrest and sporadic violence , the top two political figures in Burkina Faso announced on the state-run media outlet that they 'd fired 24 Cabinet ministers and formed a new , smaller government . President Blaise Compaore and newly appointed Prime Minister Luc-Adolphe Tiao said Thursday night on Radio Television of Burkina that there will be 29 people in the new Cabinet , down from the 38 in place previously . The full rationale for the shuffling was n't immediately made clear . Tiao is expected to take questions from the press in the coming days . Besides ousting 24 ministers , the two men also said they have brought 15 different individuals into the administration . In addition , Compaore will serve as defense minister as well as president . Djibril Bassole will become the landlocked West African nation 's foreign affairs minister -- a position he 'd earlier held , before being tapped as the joint United Nations-African Union mediator for the crisis in Darfur , Sudan . The country 's sitting foreign minister , Bedouma Alain Yoda , was among those left out in the new arrangement . The ministers for culture and tourism , infrastructure , health , education , environment , youth , social action and animal resources also have not been retained , according to Compaore and Tiao . The new government combines several Cabinet branches . Among those , the telecommunication ministry joins with that of transportation , security comes into the ministry of administration , and the human rights ministry becomes part of the justice ministry . This news came two days after Compaore tapped Tiao , Burkina Faso 's former ambassador to France , as prime minister -- a report also broadcast on the national radio and television network . All these moves follow several recent breakouts of popular discord and violence in the African nation . Student protests have been ongoing in the nation since February , according to local media reports . These demonstrations came after a student reportedly died in jail . On March 30 , protests erupted over a court case . According to media reports , a man sued a group of five soldiers , claiming they forced him to take off his clothes and walk home because he had dated a soldier 's girlfriend . The court found in favor of the man . During the violence that ensued , the defense minister said , his home was attacked . A small group of presidential security guards revolted April 14over a disputed housing allowance that they said the president had promised them . They fired shots inside the presidential compound and took to the streets , shooting guns , stealing cars and robbing people , according to defense ministry officials . Two children of a defense official were shot at in the melee and were hospitalized , officials said . The defense ministry issued a statement the following day saying the soldiers had been paid . And Moussa Ag Abdoulaye , a spokesman for a group of security guards , said on state-run TV that its members remained committed to Compaore and called for a cease-fire . Still the protests continued , during which buildings in the capital city , Ouagadougou , were set on fire . The president also reportedly replaced the head of the nation 's army amid the violence . The president was at the palace when the demonstrations began and left briefly under heavy security , but he later returned . In recent days , a curfew was imposed , and sources in the city of Po said violence was also taking place there .
Burkina Faso 's president and prime minister announce a new government on state-run TV . The new Cabinet will include 29 ministers , nine fewer than in the previous administration . 24 Cabinet members were fired ; 15 new ones will step in . Burkina Faso has been the site of unrest and sporadic violence in recent weeks .