Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Burkina Faso’s military leader, who seized power in a coup in September 2022, told journalists that “people need to forget about democracy” and that “democracy kills”.
Ibrahim Traore’s military government had originally committed to organising an election in 2024. But a year after the coup, he said there would be no elections until the country — which has struggled for more than a decade to contain Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) — was safe enough for everyone to vote.
When asked about elections during a roundtable with journalists aired on state television on April 2, Traore said his administration was focused on other challenges.
“People need to forget about the issue of democracy,” he said. “We have to tell the truth: democracy isn’t for us.”
Example of Libya
Invoking the example of Libya, where he said outsiders tried to “impose democracy”, he added that “democracy kills.”
Traore’s government dissolved all political parties in January, after earlier suspending political activities. Before the coup, the country had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 represented in Parliament after the 2020 general election. Neighbouring Mali and Niger, also led by military rulers who took power in coups, have similarly dissolved political parties.
