How did Upper Volta become an autonomous republic within the French Community?

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Following its reestablishment as an overseas territory of the French Union in 1947, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) moved toward greater self-governance through its territorial assembly.1

In 1957, this assembly was granted the authority to elect an executive council of government for the territory. Subsequently, at the end of 1958, this structure was transformed into an autonomous republic within the French Community, an association of states established that same year by the constitution of the Fifth French Republic to manage shared interests such as defense and foreign policy.12