Ouagadougou – In a striking address broadcast on Thursday, April 2, via Radiotélévision du Burkina (RTB), Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the head of the ruling military junta, explicitly instructed the Burkinabe populace to abandon any hopes for democracy. His stark declaration, “Democracy is not for us,” was delivered without reservation to both local and international journalists, including representatives from Italy’s public broadcaster Rai and the UK’s Sky News.
The definitive end of electoral prospects
The young coup leader, who seized power in September 2022, has effectively quashed any immediate or medium-term prospects for elections. He asserted, “We are not even discussing elections first. People must forget the question of democracy.” This pronouncement follows closely on the heels of the “Charter of the Revolution,” adopted in late March 2026. This document extends the junta’s tenure by an additional five years, commencing July 2024, and explicitly permits Ibrahim Traoré to contest future presidential, legislative, and municipal elections.
The democratic charade concludes
The promised transition, initially slated to conclude in July 2024 after the first coup in January 2022, is now a distant memory. The Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) was disbanded in October 2025, and all political parties were outright banned in February 2026, signaling a decisive shift away from democratic governance.
A regime embracing its authoritarian turn
Captain Traoré had previously stated, “We are not in a democracy,” last year. On Thursday evening, he reiterated this stance with overt defiance, positioning his “Revolution” above all democratic considerations. Over a two-hour interview, the captain confirmed what many observers had long suspected: Burkina Faso has transitioned from a military-led interim period to an openly acknowledged dictatorship.
The fate of his predecessor
Traoré also addressed the situation of his predecessor, former Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who was recently extradited from Togo. Accused of corruption and attempted coups, Damiba is now “in the hands of justice,” according to the junta leader.
Contested security record
As Burkina Faso grapples with nearly a decade of escalating jihadist violence, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands, the junta chief vehemently dismissed accusations documented by several international NGOs. These organizations have reported abuses against civilians by the Burkinabe army and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP). Traoré simply countered that “there is no proof.”
Alignment with Russia and press suppression
On the international front, Traoré reaffirmed his alliance with Russia, which supplies military equipment, while denying the presence of foreign instructors on the ground. Domestically, since his ascent to power, the regime has consistently curtailed press freedom, suspending or banning numerous international media outlets and expelling journalists.
Burkina Faso’s descent into authoritarianism
By openly urging his people to forsake democracy, Ibrahim Traoré has shed any pretense. He now unreservedly commits to establishing a lasting military regime where political rights and fundamental freedoms are sacrificed in the name of a “revolution” whose tangible results, both in security and economic terms, have yet to materialize convincingly. Burkina Faso, once seen as a beacon of democratic hope in the region, continues its daily descent deeper into authoritarianism.
