Latest news with #IbrahimTraoré
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Burkina Faso military rulers scrap electoral commission, take control of future election
Burkina Faso military rulers don disband di kontri electoral commission, call am waste of money. Di interior ministry go handle elections in di future, state-run RTB TV report. Since dem seize power in September 2022, di coup leaders don initiate sweeping reforms, including di postponement of elections wey go lead to a return to civilian rule. A nationwide vote bin dey due last year, but di junta bin extend di period of transition to democracy until July 2029, e allow leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré to remain in power and free to contest di next presidential election. Di AFP news agency quote Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo say di electoral commission dey "subsidised" wit around $870,000 (£650,000) a year. To scrap di commission go "reinforce our sovereign control on di electoral process and at di same time limit foreign influences", e bin add. Afta e come to power three years ago for middle of criticism say di civilian authorities dey fail to deal wit one growing Islamist insurgency, di military leaders don reject di assistance of former colonial power France in favour of Russia. Rights groups since don accuse di army say dem dey target civilians for attempt to quash di militants, as well as suppress political activity and di freedom of expression. Question marks also dey over di effectiveness of di military operation. In di first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM tok say dem don carry out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso – double di number for di same period in 2024, according to data wey di BBC verify. Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring and David Bamford.
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Burkina Faso ruling junta dissolves independent electoral commission
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Burkina Faso's military rulers have dissolved the country's independent electoral commission, authorities said. Since taking power in a 2022 coup, the West African country's military leaders have launched sweeping reforms, including postponing elections that were expected to restore civilian rule. The government passed a law late Wednesday abolishing the Independent National Electoral Commission, which is responsible for organizing elections, citing its high cost, Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo said after a Cabinet meeting. Abolishing the electoral commission will reinforce the country's 'sovereign control on the electoral process' and 'limit foreign influences,' Zerbo added. The state run television broadcaster RTB said the interior ministry will take control of future polls. The junta in Burkina Faso seized power in Sept. 2022 by ousting the military rule of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after it staged a coup to remove democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré. The country is one of several West African nations where the military has taken over in recent years, capitalizing on popular discontent with previous democratically elected governments over security issues. The junta had initially set a goal of conducting elections to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024 but last year it signed a new charter that allows the country's leader Capt. Ibrahim Traoré to remain in office until July 2029. 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.
MTV Lebanon
6 days ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Burkina Faso military ruler abolishes electoral commission
Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The interior ministry will handle elections in the future, state-run RTB TV reported. Since seizing power in September 2022, the coup leaders have initiated sweeping reforms, including the postponement of elections which would lead to a return to civilian rule. A nationwide vote was due last year, but the junta extended the period of transition to democracy until July 2029, allowing leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré to remain in power and free to contest the next presidential election. The AFP news agency quotes Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo as saying that the electoral commission was "subsidised" with around $870,000 (£650,000) a year. Abolishing the commission would "reinforce our sovereign control on the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences", he added. After coming to power three years ago amid criticism that the civilian authorities were failing to deal with a growing Islamist insurgency, the military leaders have rejected the assistance of former colonial power France in favour of Russia. Rights groups have since accused the army of targeting civilians in its attempt to quash the militants, as well as suppressing political activity and the freedom of expression. There are also question marks over the effectiveness of the military operation. In the first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM said it had carried out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso – double the number for the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC.
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Burkina Faso's junta to dissolve national election commission
Junta-run Burkina Faso has decided to scrap its national election commission, arguing it is a costly body that is prone to "foreign influences". Composed of 15 commissioners from political parties and civil society, the Independent National Electoral Commission claims to be an independent body responsible for organising elections. Elections were due to be held in July last year, but the junta, which took power in a coup in September 2022, ultimately extended its transition by five years. "Subsidised with nearly half a billion CFA francs (around $870,000) each year ... (it) is budget intensive," Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo said on Wednesday evening. He said the council of ministers had approved a plan to dissolve the body and that electoral-related issues would now be handled by the territorial administration ministry. Zerbo said the move would "reinforce our sovereign control on the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences". Burkina Faso's military government prioritises sovereignty and has distanced itself from former colonial ruler France. It is led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power in September 2022 in a coup – the country's second in eight months. The transition to democratic rule, initiated after the first coup in January 2022, was initially scheduled to end in July 2024. However, the junta in 2024 decided to extend this transition period by five years, allowing Traoré to remain at the helm of the country, ravaged by jihadist violence that has claimed thousands of lives for nearly 10 years. According to the transition charter, Captain Traoré will be able to run in the "presidential, legislative, and municipal elections", which should, in principle, be held at the end of these five years.
The South African
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The South African
NGO bans in Burkina Faso: Power move or sovereignty defence?
Burkina Faso's military government shut down four foreign non-governmental organisations' licences on 4 July 2025. Due to alleged data breaches, two foreign associations received three-month suspensions. Authorities only made the decrees public in early July 2025, despite issuing them in mid-June, according to AFP. Rather than enhancing civic regulation in the public eye, the enforcement appears to reflect the junta's broader efforts to suppress opposition and consolidate power over civil society. Under Captain Ibrahim Traoré's direction, the junta claims that the actions will restore national sovereignty. Authorities argue that foreign organisations undermine domestic efforts to combat terrorist insurgencies. In addition, armed groups linked to Niger and Mali continue to inflict violence on Burkina Faso. The government has removed diplomats accused of participating in subversive activities in recent months. Despite increased military operations and international assistance initiatives, security remains precarious. Burkina Faso has shut down several foreign media outlets due to their negative coverage. Furthermore, the government banned Voice of America and BBC/Africa from broadcasting after Human Rights Watch (HRW) published its report. The HRW published its report on the February 2024 massacres in April 2024, calling on the transitional government of Burkina Faso to look into the army's alleged execution of at least 223 civilians in Nondin and Soro, including 56 children. The obstruction of international media outlets that disseminated the study severely limited access to HRW's findings on the atrocities in Burkina Faso. The military government of Burkina Faso, headed by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has not taken any concrete steps to look into or address the killings, media censorship, or activist arrests as of July 2025. The junta tightened its controls over international organisations and civil society while intensifying its suppression of the opposition. Advocacy groups criticised the NGOs' closure as politically motivated and lacking legal transparency. NGOs are regularly suspended without formal legal proceedings or public hearings. International observers warn of the erosion of the rule of law and democratic values. Rising displacement rates and significant funding cuts have a significant impact on international humanitarian efforts. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
