Burkina Faso Junta Dissolves All Political Parties, Halts Political Activity

Burkina Faso’s military government has dissolved all political parties, saying the multiparty system caused division, abuse and weakened national unity. The decision halts all political activity, transfers party assets to the state, and is part of what the junta says is a broader effort to rebuild the state under Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup.

Burkina Faso’s military-led authorities on Thursday issued a decree dissolving all political parties in the country, marking a major shift in the nation’s political landscape under the current transitional government. The decision, announced after a cabinet meeting, effectively brings an end to organized party politics, with the government arguing that the country’s multiparty system has become a source of deep social and political problems rather than a tool for national development.
In explaining the move, the government said the proliferation of political parties over the years had led to widespread abuses, encouraged divisions among citizens and significantly weakened the social fabric of the country. Officials maintain that the large number of parties has undermined cohesion and contributed to instability at a time when Burkina Faso is facing serious security and governance challenges.
Cabinet minutes indicated that a draft bill abolishing political party statutes, existing party financing rules and the formal position of opposition leader will be sent to the transitional legislative council for review. As part of the decree, all assets owned by the dissolved political parties are to be transferred to the state, further consolidating control over political structures under the transitional authorities.
Before the military takeovers, Burkina Faso had more than 100 officially registered political parties. Following the 2020 general elections, 15 of those parties secured seats in parliament, reflecting a highly fragmented political system. That system, however, has steadily been dismantled since the military assumed power.
The junta that seized control in 2022 under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traore has increasingly tightened restrictions on political activity and dissent. Even before the latest decree, political parties had already been banned from organizing public events and rallies, although they were still allowed to operate internally. The new decision goes further by halting all political activities altogether.
Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the suspension of political party activities is part of a broader effort to “rebuild the state,” arguing that years of mismanagement, abuse and dysfunction within the multiparty system had weakened national institutions. He said the government believes restructuring the political space is necessary to restore order and strengthen the state.
Captain Traore came to power in September 2022 after leading a coup that removed fellow military ruler Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had himself ruled for only nine months. Damiba has been repeatedly accused by the current authorities of plotting further coups while in exile and was extradited back to Burkina Faso from Togo earlier this month, a development that has further underscored the junta’s firm grip on power.