Burkina Faso junta announces ban on all political parties

Burkina Faso's junta has announced a ban on all political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the military seized power in 2022.

Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré has been criticised for suppressing dissent and the move will be seen as the latest move to tighten control.

According to Burkina Faso's Interior Minister Emile Zerbo, the ban is part of plans to "rebuild the state" after what he said were "numerous abuses" in the country's multiparty system.

Zerbo said the system had been "promoting division among citizens and weakening the social fabric".

Zerbo said the system had been "promoting division among citizens and weakening the social fabric".

Parties were previously banned from holding public gatherings but the new decree stops them from operating altogether.

All the assets of the dissolved parties would be transferred to the state, Zerbo said, adding that a draft law would be sent to the Transitional Legislative Assembly "as soon as possible".

The country had more than 100 registered political parties before the coup, with 15 represented in parliament after the 2020 general election, reports the Reuters news agency.

Traoré's 2022 coup ousted Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had taken power only nine months earlier.

Traoré pledged to restore the civilian government by 1 July 2024 but two months before this deadline, the junta announced it would extend its rule for another five years.

Despite his authoritarian reputation, 37-year-old Traoré has gained a huge following across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence.

Burkina Faso is among a string of West African countries who have experienced coups in recent years, prompting concerns about the region's stability.