Burkina Faso’s highest court on Tuesday announced results from last month’s elections, declaring Roch Marc Christian Kabore winner of the presidency. Kabore won with 53 percent of the vote [AP report], confirming provisional results released shortly after the November 29 election. He will be sworn in December 29. Kabore replaces a transitional government put in place after former president Blaise Compaore was forced to step down last year amid protests against his plan to issue a constitutional amendment that would extend his 27-year term.

Burkina Faso’s government has been the subject of intense upheaval for the past few years. In October the leader of an attempted military coup in September, General Gilbert Diendere, was charged with crimes against humanity [JURIST report]. The coup started when Diendere took the president and his cabinet hostage right before the originally scheduled elections. Diendere is associated with two other coups in the West-African nation, including one in 1987 that marked the start of Compaore’s 27-year rule.