Burkina Faso must forget democracy, military leader declares

Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has declared that the West African nation must “forget about democracy,” arguing that the system “kills” and is unsuited to his country and the African continent.

In an interview broadcast Thursday on state television, the 38-year-old junta leader rejected the idea of democratic rule, pointing to Libya as a cautionary example.

“People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us,” Traoré said. “Wherever they try to establish democracy in the world, it’s always accompanied by bloodshed.”

Traoré, who seized power in a coup three years ago, initially promised to restore democratic governance by July 2024. But two months before that deadline, his junta announced a five-year extension of military rule. Two months ago, authorities went further, banning all political parties as part of what they called a plan to “rebuild the state.”

No Alternative System Proposed

The captain did not outline a detailed alternative but insisted Burkina Faso would forge its own path.

“We have our own approach. We’re not even trying to copy anyone else. We’re here to completely change the way things are done,” he said.

Traoré has cultivated a significant following across Africa for his pan-Africanist rhetoric and sharp criticism of Western influence. However, his rule has been marked by a crackdown on opposition figures, media outlets, and civil society groups. Critics have accused his government of sending dissidents to front-line positions in the fight against Islamist militants as punishment.

Libya Referenced as Cautionary Tale

The junta leader invoked the memory of Libya’s late autocrat, Muammar Gaddafi, who ruled for four decades before being killed during a Western-backed rebellion in 2011. While Gaddafi presided over a brutal regime, he also provided subsidised housing, free education, and free healthcare. Since his fall, Libya has failed to establish a functioning democracy and remains divided between two rival administrations.

Traoré’s comments come as Burkina Faso, alongside neighbouring junta-led Mali and Niger, has shifted away from Western security partnerships, particularly with France, in the fight against Islamist militants who have waged a decade-long insurgency in the Sahel region. All three nations have instead sought military assistance from Russia, though violence has continued unabated.

Civilian Casualties Mount

A report published Thursday by Human Rights Watch said more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since Traoré took power in 2023. The organisation attributed two-thirds of those deaths to the military and allied militias, with the remainder blamed on Islamist militants.

Traoré, for his part, offered a blunt assessment of Western-style governance. “Look at Libya, this is an example close to us,” he said. “Democracy is not for us.”