Burkina Faso Military Junta Extends Rule For Five Years After National Dialogue

Burkina Faso’s military regime, which seized power in 2022, has announced an extension of its rule for an additional five years, following national consultations held on Saturday.

Naija News reports that Colonel Moussa Diallo, the chairman of the organizing committee for the national dialogue process, confirmed that the transitional period would last 60 months, starting from July 2, 2024.

“The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024,” Colonel Diallo said.

During the consultations, it was also decided that Ibrahim Traore, the coup leader and current acting president, would be eligible to participate in any elections at the conclusion of the transitional period.

The discussions, intended to pave the way for a return to civilian governance, addressed the ongoing challenges posed by jihadist violence that has plagued the nation.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been at the mercy of a brutal insurgency led by jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions.

The persistent insecurity was a major justification for the military’s takeover.

The dialogue initially aimed for a quicker transition, with a prior charter establishing a 21-month transitional period set to expire on July 1.

However, Traore had voiced concerns over the feasibility of conducting elections amidst the current security crisis.

The revised charter agreed upon this Saturday eliminates the use of quotas to determine membership in the legislative assembly, which will now solely rely on “patriotism” as the criterion for selecting deputies.

This weekend’s talks saw participation from civil society representatives, security and defence forces, and members of the transitional assembly.

However, the dialogue was marked by a significant absence as most political parties chose to boycott the discussions.