Burkina Faso’s military government announced that it will extend its rule for another five years.
The country’s ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, could also run in the next presidential elections, says the state broadcaster.
When he seized power in a coup d’état almost two years ago, Captain Traore promised to restore civilian government by July 1 of this year.
But Burkina Faso has now joined neighboring Mali in extending its military rule.
The extension was announced on Saturday after a national consultation meeting in the West African country’s capital, Ouagadougou.
An amended letter, signed by Captain Traoré, states that the new 60-month transition period will come into force from 2 July this year.
“The elections that mark the end of the transition can be organized before this deadline if the security situation allows,” says the Reuters news agency, citing the letter.
Burkina Faso has been governed by its army since January 2022, when Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba seized power from President Roch Kaboré.
Colonel Damiba justified the coup by saying that the previous government had failed to deal with growing Islamic militant violence.
Since 2015, jihadist rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged an oppressive insurgency that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.
In September 2022, Captain Traoré deposed Colonel Damiba, arguing that a second coup was necessary because Colonel Damiba himself was incapable of confronting the insurgency.
Captain Traoré promised to improve the country’s dire security situation within “two to three months” and restore civilian rule within 21 months.
But since making this promise, Captain Traoré has warned that elections are not “a priority” until the territory is recaptured from the jihadists so that everyone can vote.
According to the new letter, quotas will no longer be used to allocate seats in the assembly to members of traditional parties, reported the AFP news agency.
Instead, “patriotism” will be the sole criterion for selecting deputies.
Decisions made during Saturday’s national consultation happened quickly, with local media reports indicating that political parties were absent at the start of the meeting.
International and human rights groups, including the European Union and the UN, have accused Burkina Faso of serious human rights violations in its fight against Islamists, including the indiscriminate killings and forced disappearances of dozens of civilians.
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