Burkina Faso’s military rulers announced on Thursday plans to dissolve all political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the junta seized power in 2022.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who took control in a September 2022 coup after ousting a previous junta, has sharply curtailed dissent and restricted political activity since assuming power. While parties had been barred from holding public gatherings, they were previously allowed to operate internally.
“The government believes that the proliferation of political parties has led to abuses, fuelled divisions among citizens, and weakened the social fabric,” the presidency said in a statement summarising a cabinet meeting.
A draft law dissolving political parties will now be “sent to the Transitional Legislative Assembly as soon as possible,” said Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo, adding that the assets of dissolved parties would be transferred to the state.
The move, he said, is intended to “preserve national unity, strengthen the coherence of government action, and pave the way for reforming political governance.”
Traoré’s coup in 2022 toppled Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had held power for just nine months. After fleeing to Togo, Damiba was repeatedly accused by Burkina Faso’s military rulers of plotting coups and assassination attempts, the latest of which occurred earlier this month. Togo recently extradited him back to Burkina Faso.
AFP
