Following nationwide consultations in Ouagadougou on Saturday, the military leader of Burkina Faso has secured an extended five-year term through the signing of a new charter. The discussions involved civil society representatives, security forces, defense personnel, and members of the transitional assembly, although most political parties boycotted the talks.
Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairing the national dialogue process, announced that “the transition period is set for 60 months, effective July 2, 2024.” Burkina Faso joins a growing list of West African nations where the military has assumed power, citing the elected government’s failure to fulfill promises.
The current junta seized control in September 2022, ousting the previous military regime led by Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, which had taken over about eight months earlier by removing the democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.
The transitional government has been operating under a constitution approved by an assembly comprising army officers, civil society groups, and traditional and religious leaders. Initially, the junta aimed to hold elections and restore democratic rule by July 2024.
Captain Ibrahim Traore was appointed as the transitional president. However, the junta has struggled to address Burkina Faso’s security challenges, which prompted the September 2022 takeover. Approximately half of the country remains beyond government control due to escalating attacks by Islamic extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS.