Burkina Faso Extends Transition to Civilian Rule to 2029
Burkina Faso's military junta has extended its rule for another five years, just as its initial 21-month deadline to restore civilian rule was due to expire on July 1....
0:00
/1861
Facts
- Burkina Faso's military junta has extended its rule for another five years, just as its initial 21-month deadline to restore civilian rule was due to expire on July 1.[1]
- This comes as a result of a new charter agreed on Saturday during a national consultations gathering civil society representatives and lawmakers, as well as the security and defense forces. Most political parties boycotted the discussions.[2]
- The new agreement stipulates that elections can be held before July 2, 2029, if the security situation so allows, with military leader Ibrahim Traoré being able to run for office.[3]
- Additionally, assembly seats for the traditional political parties will no longer be assigned via quotas. Instead, deputies will be selected based solely on a so-called patriotism criterion.[4]
- Under the leadership of Captain Traoré, the transitional government took over the country in September 2022 reputedly to stem jihadist violence that has killed thousands and displaced millions.[5]
- Security challenges in the Sahel have also triggered regime changes in Mali and Chad over the past years, with junta leaders in all three countries pivoting from the West to Russia.[6]
Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]France 24, [3]TRT Afrika, [4]Al Jazeera, [5]Africanews and [6]ft.com.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Human Rights Watch. Burkina Faso must restore civilian rule as soon as it's feasible to do so. Not only are human rights deteriorating rapidly in the Sahel, but the military government has not made its promised progress toward ending Islamist violence. Instead, Burkina Faso has let the Trojan horse of Russian influence seep into the region and further threaten human rights. A dictatorship will only hurt the country in the long run.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Africa Report.com. This situation is only possible due to the West's absolute impotence in the face of a devastating insurgency that has brought Burkina Faso to its knees. While it once cooperated with the West, Burkina Faso's failures in dealing with terrorism have led the country to turn to Russia to fill the security vacuum. The West African nation must defeat terrorism before democracy can be restored.
