‘We would never practise democracy, forget it!’ – Traore

In a stark rejection of democratic norms, Burkina Faso’s junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré told citizens on Thursday that they must “forget about democracy,” signaling a hardening of military rule in a nation long plagued by jihadist violence.

Traoré, who seized power in September 2022 after toppling another junta, made the remarks during a nationally broadcast interview on RTB, the state television network. His government has systematically clamped down on dissent, dissolving the country’s electoral commission last year and banning all political parties in February, suspending their activities indefinitely.

“We’re not even talking about elections, first of all,” Traoré said. “People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy isn’t for us.”

The junta’s announcement effectively nullifies the democratic transition that had been planned following the January 2022 coup, which was originally scheduled to conclude with elections in July 2024. Instead, the military extended the transition by five years, allowing Traoré to remain at the helm.

Burkina Faso has faced nearly a decade of jihadist insurgencies that have claimed thousands of lives, and Traoré’s government has framed its consolidation of power as a security necessity. Nevertheless, the United Nations has repeatedly condemned the regime’s moves, urging a reversal of the ban on political parties and a halt to the shrinking of civic space.

The junta has also restricted international media access, expelled journalists, and demonstrated growing hostility toward Western countries, particularly France. Analysts warn that these measures deepen Burkina Faso’s isolation and risk entrenching authoritarian rule.