Joseph Issoufou Conombo served as Prime Minister

Heads of government of Burkina Faso

-List of Heads of Government of Burkina Faso:-Affiliations:-See also:*List of heads of state of Burkina Faso*List of governors of Upper Volta*Lists of office-holders-References:*...

 of Upper Volta

Republic of Upper Volta

The Republic of Upper Volta was established on December 11, 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Before attaining autonomy it had been French Upper Volta and part of the French Union. On August 5, 1960 it attained full independence from France.Thomas Sankara came to power...

 (now Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...

) from 7 July 1978 to 25 November 1980. Born in the department of Kombissiri

Kombissiri Department

Kombissiri is a department or commune of Bazèga Province in central Burkina Faso. Its capital lies at the town of Kombissiri. According to the 1996 census the department has a total population of 64,479.-References:...

, he attended medical school in Dakar

Dakar

Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...

, Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

, then served in the French forces during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

In 1951, Conombo was elected to the French National Assembly

French National Assembly

The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....

, a position he held until Upper Volta gained independence in 1959, even serving as undersecretary of state (1954–1955) in the government of Pierre Mendès France. He served as mayor of Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...

 from 1961 to 1965. As a doctor, he was director general for public health (1966–1968), and minister of foreign affairs (1971–1973). He served as prime minister until the military coup led by Saye Zerbo

Saye Zerbo

Colonel Saye Zerbo was a President of Upper Volta from 25 November 1980 to 7 November 1982. He led a coup in 1980, but was resisted by trade unions and was overthrown by Maj. Dr.Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo and the Council of Popular Salvation .Zerbo comes from Tougan in Sourou Province in the western...

 that overthrew the government of President Sangoulé Lamizana

Sangoulé Lamizana

Major General Aboubakar Sangoulé Lamizana was the second president of Upper Volta , in power from January 3, 1966 to November 25, 1980...

.