Burkina Faso’s military rulers have pulled the plug on all political parties, sweeping away the legal scaffolding that once governed their activities.
We gathered that the move was sealed by a decree endorsed by the country’s council of ministers on Thursday, signalling another firm grip by the junta that took power in September 2022.
It marks the latest turn of the screw since political activities were frozen in the aftermath of the coup, as the soldiers-turned-rulers tighten their hold on the reins of power.
Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the decision was part of a wider push to “rebuild the state”, arguing that years of systemic abuse and dysfunction had hollowed out the country’s multiparty democracy.
According to him, a government review concluded that the mushrooming of political parties had deepened divisions, frayed national unity and weakened social cohesion.
Before the military takeover, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 securing seats in parliament following the 2020 general elections.
Under the new decree, all political parties and formations are formally disbanded.
Cabinet minutes also indicate that a draft law repealing existing statutes on party regulation, funding, and the official status of the opposition leader will be forwarded to the transitional legislative council.
All assets belonging to the dissolved parties will now revert to the state.
The Sahel country, much like its neighbours Mali and Niger, has been battling relentless Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State—violence that has claimed thousands of lives and uprooted millions over the past decade.
