Dakar. Burkina Faso’s military-led government has officially dissolved all political parties and scrapped the legal framework that regulated them, a decree confirmed by the country’s council of ministers on Thursday.
The move comes more than three years after the September 2022 coup, and follows the suspension of political activities, as the military seeks to consolidate control.
Interior Minister Emile Zerbo said the decision is part of a wider plan to “rebuild the state,” noting that the proliferation of political parties had fuelled divisions and weakened social cohesion.
Before the coup, Burkina Faso had over 100 registered political parties, with 15 represented in parliament following the 2020 elections. The decree dissolves all parties and political formations, while a new law regulating party financing and the status of the opposition will be submitted to the transitional council.
All assets belonging to the dissolved parties will be transferred to the state.
Burkina Faso, like regional neighbours Mali and Niger, continues to face deadly Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which have killed thousands and displaced millions over the past decade.
