Burkina Faso’s military-led government has dissolved all political parties and abolished the legal framework governing their operations, following the approval of a decree by the country’s council of ministers on Thursday.
The decision marks the latest step by the military authorities, who seized power in September 2022, to consolidate control after previously suspending political activities in the wake of the coup.
Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the move forms part of a broader effort to “rebuild the state,” citing what he described as widespread abuses and dysfunction within Burkina Faso’s multiparty system. According to him, a government review concluded that the proliferation of political parties had deepened divisions and undermined social cohesion.
Prior to the coup, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 represented in parliament following the 2020 general election.
Under the decree, all political parties and formations are dissolved, and a bill repealing existing laws on party operations, financing and the status of the opposition leader will be submitted to the transitional legislative council. The assets of the dissolved parties will also be transferred to the state.
Burkina Faso, like its Sahel neighbours Mali and Niger, continues to grapple with Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions over the past decade.
