Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has told citizens to abandon hopes for democracy, in an interview broadcast on national television Thursday.
Traore, who seized power in a September 2022 coup that toppled another military government, has since tightened control over the country, suppressing dissent and political activity. Last year, his administration dissolved the electoral commission, and in February, the junta-led parliament formally disbanded all political parties, which had been suspended since 2022.
“We’re not even talking about elections, first of all,” Traore said in the interview with state broadcaster RTB. “People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy isn’t for us.”
Burkina Faso had planned a transition to democratic governance following the first coup in January 2022, with elections originally scheduled for July 2024. However, the junta extended the transition period by five years, keeping Traore in power as the country continues to face a severe jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives over nearly a decade.
The United Nations has urged Burkina Faso to lift the ban on political parties and halt the repression of civil society.
