Burkina Faso’s ruling military authorities have taken a decisive step to entrench their hold on power by dissolving all political parties and abolishing the laws that regulated their activities, more than three years after the coup that ushered the junta into office.
The measure was endorsed by the council of ministers on Thursday and formalised through a presidential decree, extending earlier restrictions that had already suspended political activity since the military takeover in September 2022.
Announcing the decision, Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the move was aimed at “rebuilding the state,” claiming that the country’s multiparty system had ceased to function effectively. According to Zerbo, a government assessment concluded that the sheer number of political parties had deepened divisions and undermined national unity.
Prior to the coup, Burkina Faso had over 100 registered political parties, with 15 securing seats in parliament after the 2020 elections.
The decree orders the immediate dissolution of all political parties and movements, with their assets to be seized and transferred to the state. In addition, authorities plan to table new legislation before the transitional legislative council to repeal existing laws on political parties, public funding, and the role of the opposition leader.
The latest development comes as Burkina Faso, alongside neighbouring Mali and Niger, continues to grapple with a persistent Islamist insurgency linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. The conflict has claimed thousands of lives and forced millions of people from their homes across the Sahel over the past decade.
