(3 minutes Read)
Burkina Faso’s military leader will stay in power for five more years after a new charter was signed following national consultations on Saturday, May 25. The talks in the capital, Ouagadougou, included civil society, security forces, and transitional lawmakers. But most political parties did not participate. The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024.
Burkina Faso is one of a growing list of West African countries where the military has taken power, usurping the elected government. The current junta seized power in September 2022 by ousting the military regime of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after it staged a coup to remove democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.
The transitional government has been running Burkina Faso under a constitution approved by a national assembly that included army officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders. The junta had set a goal of conducting elections to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024.
Capt. Ibrahim Traore was named the transitional president. However, since its inception, the junta has struggled to end Burkina Faso’s security challenges — the very reason that it prompted it to take over power in September 2022. Around half of Burkina Faso’s territory remains outside of government control.
Read Also:
https://trendsnafrica.com/burkina-faso-suspends-bbc-and-voice-of-america-alleging-wrong-reporting/
https://trendsnafrica.com/burkina-faso-to-develop-nuclear-energy-with-russian-assistance/
The West African country has been ravaged by growing attacks by Muslim extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The violence has killed thousands, displaced more than 2 million people, and pushed tens of thousands to the brink of starvation. Traore will be able to run in elections at the end of the five-year transition period, according to the new charter. However, the charter also retains the possibility of holding elections before the end of the transition period.
