Forget democracy, says Burkina Faso military leader

Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traore on May 8, 2025. Alexander Kryazhev/Host Agency RIA Novosti via REUTERS Burkina Faso’s military leader, who seized power in a coup in September 2022, told journalists that “people need to forget democracy” and that “democracy kills”, in the latest sign that he intends to rule for a long period. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Captain Ibrahim Traoré had committed to organizing elections in 2024 when he took power in the country. However, a year after the coup, he stated that there will be no elections until the country is safe enough for everyone to vote. Asked about elections during a round table with journalists shown on state TV on Thursday night (2), Traoré said that his government is focused on other challenges. “People need to forget the issue of democracy,” he said. “We have to tell the truth: democracy is not for us.” Invoking the example of Libya, where, according to him, external actors tried to “impose democracy”, he added that “democracy kills”. See the videos that are trending on g1 Burkina Faso has faced difficulties for more than a decade in containing the actions of Islamist militias linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS), and it is possible that Traoré was referring to them when he mentioned other challenges. Even so, a report published on Thursday by Human Rights Watch indicated that Burkina Faso’s military forces and their allies have killed more than twice as many civilians as Islamist militants since 2023. According to the NGO, there are 1,225 civilian deaths attributed to government forces and government allies between January 2023 and August 2025 in 33 separate incidents. Deaths attributed to militias are around 600. Traoré’s government dissolved all political parties in January, but he had previously suspended political activities in the country. Before the coup, the country had more than 100 registered parties, with 15 represented in parliament after the 2020 general elections. Neighboring Mali and Niger, also governed by military men who came to power in coups, took similar steps, dissolving political parties. Militias linked to Al-Qaeda and IS in the three African countries have killed thousands of people and displaced millions over the past decade.

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