Burkina Faso dissolves all political parties under new military decree

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has formally dissolved all political parties, deepening its crackdown on dissent as the country battles a protracted insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).

The decision was approved by the council of ministers on Thursday through a presidential decree, effectively outlawing political parties and formations whose activities had already been suspended following successive coups.

Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the move was part of a wider effort to “rebuild the state,” arguing that the country’s multiparty system had been plagued by abuses and institutional dysfunction. According to Zerbo, a government review concluded that the proliferation of political parties had fuelled divisions and weakened national cohesion.

Under the decree, all political parties are disbanded and their assets transferred to the state.

Before the military takeover, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties. Fifteen of them were represented in parliament following the 2020 general election.

The country is currently led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in September 2022, eight months after a previous coup that overthrew democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré. Since taking office, the military authorities have tightened control over political life and civil society while struggling to stem violence by armed groups operating across large parts of the country.

As part of the broader clampdown, the government in 2024 ordered internet service providers to block access to the digital platforms of several international media and rights organisations, including the BBC, Voice of America and Human Rights Watch.