Mr Ouedraogo, a 52 year-old economist, was said to have experience in management of public administrations, development projects and private companies.

He will form a government whose main task will be to secure the country from an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands and forced at least 1.5 million people to flee their homes.

Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was on Wednesday sworn in as interim president for three years after seizing power in a military coup last month.