OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (MT) – Burkina Faso’s military-led government has formally dismantled all political parties and repealed the laws that once regulated their existence, according to a decree adopted during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
The move deepens a series of restrictions that rights advocates say have steadily narrowed civic space and sidelined opposition voices since the armed forces seized power in a 2022 coup. Political party activities had already been frozen under military rule; the new decree goes further by ordering that party assets be transferred to the state, according to the government’s official news outlet.
Speaking after the Council of Ministers session, Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said authorities concluded that political organizations had strayed from the principles that justified their creation. He argued that the sheer number of parties had contributed to social rifts rather than political stability.
“The government considers that the proliferation of political parties has led to abuses, deepening divisions among citizens and weakening the country’s social cohesion,” Zerbo said.
Officials said new draft legislation outlining the rules for forming political parties and associations in the future will be sent to the legislature “as soon as possible,” though no timeline was provided.
Burkina Faso, whose capital is Ouagadougou, is part of a broader wave of West and Central African nations grappling with military takeovers and prolonged transitions away from democratic governance. Since assuming control in 2022, the junta has enacted wide-ranging changes, including delaying elections intended to return the country to civilian rule and dissolving the independent body responsible for overseeing elections.
Together, these steps have reshaped the country’s political landscape, consolidating power in the hands of the military while leaving the path back to multiparty democracy uncertain.
World Politics | By The Midtown Times Staff
