Burkina Faso’s military led government has dissolved all political parties and formations and repealed laws governing their operation, marking a significant consolidation of power by junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore.
The decision was announced Thursday, January 29, following a Council of Ministers meeting presided over by Traore. Minister of Territorial Administration and Mobility Emile Zerbo described the move as deliberate and far reaching, saying it forms part of efforts to rebuild the state.
According to the presidency’s communications directorate, the proliferation of political parties had resulted in political drift, encouraged divisions among citizens and weakened the nation’s social fabric.
The statement said the dissolution aims to preserve national unity, strengthen the coherence of government action and create room for comprehensive reform of political governance.
Under the adopted decree, all assets belonging to dissolved political parties must be transferred to the state. Zerbo said draft laws will be submitted to the Transitional Legislative Assembly as soon as possible.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1157173175788600&output=html&h=414&adk=3115294956&adf=595869531&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.14~rp.4&w=414&lmt=1769821610&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7460388680&ad_type=text_image&format=414×414&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2Fburkina-faso-dissolves-all-political-parties-under-military-government%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=320&rw=384&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&fa=27&abgtt=7&dt=1769823879515&bpp=1&bdt=2219&idt=-M&shv=r20260128&mjsv=m202601270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D294cb1abe7f6faa1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MYvyuW-IQJP1asm-q5VaTh7phkpqA&gpic=UID%3D000012f7d38dc267%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MZ2Qf8JEpxwPpyYXWOS4yU-auDjMA&eo_id_str=ID%3Deb90752d26c4bfc1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DAA-AfjYbiLJy92sLPs5mDltUC5fy&prev_fmts=0x0%2C414x414&nras=3&correlator=5027563860905&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=0&u_his=4&u_h=896&u_w=414&u_ah=896&u_aw=414&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&adx=0&ady=1797&biw=414&bih=712&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42532523%2C95378425%2C95381248%2C95381490%2C95381776%2C95381972%2C31096385%2C95381362&oid=2&pvsid=7715168702548576&tmod=1984975736&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C414%2C0%2C414%2C712%2C414%2C712&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&pgls=CAEQBBoHMS4xNzEuMA..&num_ads=1&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&dtd=12
Before the military takeover, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 represented in parliament following the 2020 general election. Political party activities had been suspended since Traore seized power in September 2022, though they were not formally banned until this week.
The Interior Minister said a government review found that the multiplication of political parties had fueled divisions and weakened social cohesion. “This great and important decision is part of the refoundation of the state and follows a deep diagnosis of the partisan system which revealed numerous deviations in the application of the legal regime of political parties and groupings in our country,” Zerbo stated.
During the same Council of Ministers meeting, the government adopted a state development roadmap known as the Reliance plan. The plan, valued at 36 trillion CFA francs (approximately 65 billion dollars), is expected to run from 2026 to 2030.
The West African nation has been under military rule since Traore’s coup in September 2022, which itself followed an earlier military coup in January 2022 that overthrew democratically elected President Roch Marc Kabore.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1157173175788600&output=html&h=414&adk=3115294956&adf=474532266&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.22~rp.4&w=414&lmt=1769821610&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7460388680&ad_type=text_image&format=414×414&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2Fburkina-faso-dissolves-all-political-parties-under-military-government%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=320&rw=384&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&fa=27&abgtt=7&dt=1769823879515&bpp=1&bdt=2219&idt=-M&shv=r20260128&mjsv=m202601270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D294cb1abe7f6faa1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MYvyuW-IQJP1asm-q5VaTh7phkpqA&gpic=UID%3D000012f7d38dc267%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MZ2Qf8JEpxwPpyYXWOS4yU-auDjMA&eo_id_str=ID%3Deb90752d26c4bfc1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DAA-AfjYbiLJy92sLPs5mDltUC5fy&prev_fmts=0x0%2C414x414%2C414x414&nras=4&correlator=5027563860905&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=0&u_his=4&u_h=896&u_w=414&u_ah=896&u_aw=414&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&adx=0&ady=2939&biw=414&bih=712&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42532523%2C95378425%2C95381248%2C95381490%2C95381776%2C95381972%2C31096385%2C95381362&oid=2&pvsid=7715168702548576&tmod=1984975736&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C414%2C0%2C414%2C712%2C414%2C712&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&pgls=CAEQBBoHMS4xNzEuMA..&num_ads=1&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=13
Burkina Faso is currently grappling with severe security challenges from armed groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). These groups have seized control of approximately 60 percent of national territory, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS).
The most active groups operating across the north, south and west of the country are the al Qaeda backed Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), which also operate in neighboring Mali and Niger. The groups seek to rule territory according to strict Islamic laws and oppose secularism.
Violence in Burkina Faso has worsened significantly since Traore took power. Fatalities tripled in the three years following his coup, reaching 17,775 deaths, mostly civilians, by May 2025. This compares to 6,630 combined recorded deaths in the three years prior to the takeover, according to ACSS data.
In July 2025, Traore’s government dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing that the agency was too expensive. The transitional government has repeatedly postponed elections initially promised for July 2024, citing ongoing security instability.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1157173175788600&output=html&h=414&adk=3115294956&adf=42544046&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.30~rp.4&w=414&lmt=1769821610&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7460388680&ad_type=text_image&format=414×414&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2Fburkina-faso-dissolves-all-political-parties-under-military-government%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=320&rw=384&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&fa=27&abgtt=7&dt=1769823879515&bpp=1&bdt=2219&idt=1&shv=r20260128&mjsv=m202601270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D294cb1abe7f6faa1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MYvyuW-IQJP1asm-q5VaTh7phkpqA&gpic=UID%3D000012f7d38dc267%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MZ2Qf8JEpxwPpyYXWOS4yU-auDjMA&eo_id_str=ID%3Deb90752d26c4bfc1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DAA-AfjYbiLJy92sLPs5mDltUC5fy&prev_fmts=0x0%2C414x414%2C414x414%2C414x414&nras=5&correlator=5027563860905&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=0&u_his=4&u_h=896&u_w=414&u_ah=896&u_aw=414&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&adx=0&ady=4107&biw=414&bih=712&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42532523%2C95378425%2C95381248%2C95381490%2C95381776%2C95381972%2C31096385%2C95381362&oid=2&pvsid=7715168702548576&tmod=1984975736&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C414%2C0%2C414%2C712%2C414%2C712&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&pgls=CAEQBBoHMS4xNzEuMA..&num_ads=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=13
Burkina Faso remains suspended from the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the military takeover. However, authorities have deepened cooperation with Mali and Niger, both also under military leadership, through creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) focused on mutual defense, political coordination and economic sovereignty.
By December 2024, all three AES countries had cut ties with former colonial power France and turned to Russian security personnel for support after accusing Paris of excessive interference. Between them, they expelled more than 5,000 French soldiers who had previously provided counterterrorism assistance. A smaller contingent of approximately 2,000 Russian security personnel is now stationed across the three countries.
The government has also targeted media and civil society in what rights groups describe as a shrinking civic space. In 2024, authorities ordered internet service providers to suspend access to websites and digital platforms of the BBC, Voice of America and Human Rights Watch.
Earlier this month, Burkina Faso expelled United Nations regional coordinator Carol Flore Smereczniak following a disagreement over security conditions.
The country also withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December 2024 alongside Mali and Niger, denouncing the institution as a tool of neo colonial repression.
Despite these measures, Traore continues to enjoy significant popular support across large segments of Burkinabe society, particularly among youth and civil society groups aligned with the transition. Since taking power, he has cultivated an image as a revolutionary soldier leader determined to break with what many view as decades of French political, military and economic dominance.
His speeches frequently invoke self determination and the legacy of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, resonating well beyond Burkina Faso’s borders and earning him admiration across parts of West, Central and Southern Africa. Across Ouagadougou and other major cities, murals, posters and slogans celebrating Traore portray him as a symbol of African dignity and sovereignty.
However, human rights organizations and democracy advocates have raised concerns about the erosion of democratic norms and the consolidation of authoritarian control under military leadership.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1157173175788600&output=html&h=414&adk=3115294956&adf=3720145512&pi=t.aa~a.829776362~i.46~rp.4&w=414&lmt=1769821610&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7460388680&ad_type=text_image&format=414×414&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2Fburkina-faso-dissolves-all-political-parties-under-military-government%2F&host=ca-host-pub-2644536267352236&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=320&rw=384&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&fa=27&abgtt=7&dt=1769823879517&bpp=2&bdt=2222&idt=2&shv=r20260128&mjsv=m202601270101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D294cb1abe7f6faa1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MYvyuW-IQJP1asm-q5VaTh7phkpqA&gpic=UID%3D000012f7d38dc267%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DALNI_MZ2Qf8JEpxwPpyYXWOS4yU-auDjMA&eo_id_str=ID%3Deb90752d26c4bfc1%3AT%3D1768480059%3ART%3D1769823863%3AS%3DAA-AfjYbiLJy92sLPs5mDltUC5fy&prev_fmts=0x0%2C414x414%2C414x414%2C414x414%2C414x414%2C414x906&nras=7&correlator=5027563860905&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=0&u_his=4&u_h=896&u_w=414&u_ah=896&u_aw=414&u_cd=24&u_sd=2&adx=0&ady=4794&biw=414&bih=712&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42532523%2C95378425%2C95381248%2C95381490%2C95381776%2C95381972%2C31096385%2C95381362&oid=2&pvsid=7715168702548576&tmod=1984975736&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsghana.com.gh%2F&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C414%2C0%2C414%2C712%2C414%2C712&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1&pgls=CAEQBBoHMS4xNzEuMA..&num_ads=1&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=5&fsb=1&dtd=396
The dissolution of political parties represents the latest move by Traore’s government to tighten control over political life. With no clear timeline for return to civilian rule and ongoing security challenges dominating national priorities, Burkina Faso appears set to remain under military governance for the foreseeable future.
The Reliance development plan aims to chart an economic course for the country through 2030, though details about specific projects, funding sources and implementation strategies have not yet been publicly released.
As Burkina Faso stands at the center of a broader continental debate about governance models, military rule and sovereignty, the dissolution of political parties marks a definitive break with the multiparty democratic system that existed before the 2022 coups.
NEWSGHANA