Burkina Faso’s military government has dissolved all political parties and repealed the laws governing them, a sweeping move the junta says is aimed at reducing divisions but which critics view as a further blow to democratic freedoms in the country.
The decision was approved Thursday by the government and formalized in a decree, according to the state-run news agency. Under the measure, the assets of all political parties and similar organizations are to be transferred to the state.
Political activity has effectively been frozen since the military seized power in a coup in 2022, suspending party operations and curbing opposition voices. Activists and rights groups say the latest step deepens a pattern of restrictions on civic life that has accelerated under junta rule.
Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo said authorities concluded that political parties had strayed from the principles under which they were established. Speaking after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Zerbo argued that the sheer number of parties had harmed national cohesion.
“The government believes that the proliferation of political parties has led to excesses, fostering division among citizens and weakening the social fabric,” he said.
Zerbo added that draft legislation setting out new rules for the creation of political parties and associations would be submitted to the legislature “as soon as possible,” though no timeline was given and it remains unclear when or under what conditions political activity might resume.
Burkina Faso has become emblematic of a broader wave of military takeovers across West and Central Africa, where juntas in countries including Mali and Niger have delayed elections and tightened control over political life. Since taking power, Burkina Faso’s military leaders have postponed a planned return to civilian rule and dismantled key democratic institutions, including dissolving the independent electoral commission.
The latest decree underscores growing uncertainty about the country’s political future, as the junta consolidates power while promising reforms and stability in a nation grappling with insurgent violence and prolonged insecurity.
AP
