Burkina Faso’s military-led government on Thursday dissolved all political parties, extending restrictions that have been in place since the army seized power in 2022.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power in a September 2022 coup that overthrew a previous military junta, has steadily tightened his grip on power and curtailed dissent. Until now, political parties had been barred from organising public activities but were still permitted to function internally.
In a statement following a cabinet meeting, the presidency said the government believed the large number of political parties had encouraged abuses, deepened divisions among citizens and weakened social cohesion.
Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said a draft law formalising the dissolution would be submitted “as soon as possible” to the Transitional Legislative Assembly. He added that the assets of the dissolved parties would be transferred to the state.
According to the government, the measure is intended to preserve national unity, improve the coherence of government action and lay the groundwork for reforms to political governance.
The decision effectively eliminates around 100 political parties, including 15 that held seats in the transitional parliament.
Traoré’s rise to power followed the ousting of Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who himself had ruled for just nine months after a coup. Damiba later went into exile in Togo and was repeatedly accused by Burkina Faso’s military authorities of plotting further coups and assassination attempts.
Earlier this month, Togo extradited Damiba back to Burkina Faso, marking another escalation in the junta’s consolidation of power.
