/
RSS Feed
Burkina Faso’s military government has dissolved the country’s independent electoral commission, calling it an unnecessary financial burden and a tool of foreign influence.
State-run broadcaster RTB TV announced that the Interior Ministry will now oversee all future elections, a move that centralizes electoral power under the ruling junta.
Since seizing power in a September 2022 coup, the military regime has delayed democratic elections and introduced sweeping reforms that have cemented Capt Ibrahim Traoré’s hold on power. Elections initially scheduled for last year have been pushed back, with the transition to civilian rule now postponed until July 2029—granting the junta leader ample time to consolidate his political position and allowing him to run in the next presidential vote.
Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo defended the decision to scrap the electoral body, noting it received an annual subsidy of roughly $870,000 (£650,000). He said the move would help Burkina Faso “reinforce our sovereign control of the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences”.
Critics, however, say the abolition of the electoral commission raises serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and democratic backsliding.
The junta initially took power amid frustration over the civilian government’s failure to contain a worsening Islamist insurgency. Since then, the military rulers have expelled French forces and aligned more closely with Russia, while clamping down on dissent and political opposition.
Rights groups accuse the junta of human rights abuses, including the targeting of civilians in counter-insurgency operations and the suppression of free speech.
Despite these efforts, security in Burkina Faso continues to deteriorate. In the first half of 2025 alone, jihadist group JNIM (an al-Qaeda affiliate) claimed responsibility for over 280 attacks—twice the number recorded during the same period in 2024.
As Burkina Faso moves deeper into military rule, questions are mounting both domestically and internationally about the country’s political future and the junta’s commitment to restoring democracy.
