Kabore elected president of Burkina Faso

Roch Marc Christian Kabore won Burkina Faso's presidential election, official results showed, after a year of turmoil that saw the west African country's former leader deposed and the military try to seize power in a coup.

Kabore, who governed under former strongman Blaise Compaore before turning his back on the old regime, won the vote in the first round with 53.49 percent of ballots, the electoral commission said late Monday. 

His main rival Zephirin Diabre, who took 21.65 percent of votes, congratulated the former premier at his party's headquarters just before the results were released, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.