Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, told journalists in a state television interview that people in his country must “forget” about democracy. Traoré said democracy is not suitable for Burkina Faso and that the concept “kills”.
The 38-year-old leader, who came to power in a September 2022 coup, referenced Libya as an example. He argued that Western powers bring bloodshed when they try to impose democracy in other countries. Traoré described democracy as a form of slavery.
The interview aired Thursday night on the state-run RTB broadcaster. Traoré said his administration is not focused on organising elections. “We have to tell the truth: democracy isn’t for us,” he said.
Traoré initially promised to restore civilian rule by July 2024. Two months before that deadline, the junta announced it would extend its rule for another five years. In January 2026, the government banned all political parties as part of a plan to “rebuild the state” after what officials called “numerous abuses” in the multiparty system. Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties before the coup. The government said the party system promoted division among citizens and weakened social cohesion.
In October 2025, the military government dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission. The junta has cracked down on political opposition, media and civil society groups. Journalists and opposition leaders critical of the government have been forcibly conscripted and sent to the front lines of the country’s fight against Islamist militants.
Neighbouring Mali and Niger, also led by military rulers who took power in coups, have taken similar steps to dissolve political parties. All three countries have left the regional bloc ECOWAS and formed their own Alliance of Sahel States. They have also moved away from working with Western countries, especially France, and have turned to Russia for military assistance.
Violence from Islamist insurgencies has continued across Burkina Faso. Fatalities tripled in the three years after Traoré took power, reaching 17,775 by last May, according to analysis by the US-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies. On the same day as the interview, Human Rights Watch published a report indicating that Burkina Faso’s military and its allies have killed more than twice as many civilians as Islamist militants have since 2023. The report said more than 1,800 civilians have been killed since Traoré seized power.
Traoré did not propose a detailed alternative system but said Burkina Faso has its own approach rooted in sovereignty, patriotism and revolutionary mobilisation. He said the country is not trying to copy anyone else.
The United Nations has urged Burkina Faso to restore democratic processes and respect civic freedoms.