Burkina Faso’s junta bans all political parties, extending military rule while citing abuses in the country’s multiparty system.
Burkina Faso’s military government has announced a complete ban on political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the 2022 coup. Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the move aims to “rebuild the state” after what he called “numerous abuses” in the multiparty system. All party assets will now transfer to the state.
Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who ousted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba in 2022, had pledged a return to civilian rule by July 2024 but extended his rule by five years. Despite criticism for authoritarianism, Traoré has gained a following for his pan-Africanist vision and critique of Western influence, amid wider instability in West Africa.