Burkinabè citizens should forget about democracy, declared Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the country’s military ruler, during a televised press conference on April 2. “Democracy isn’t for us,” he stated, reinforcing his stance from last year that Burkina Faso is not a democratic state.

Captain Traoré seized power in September 2022 following a coup—the second in eight months. The political transition, initiated after the January 2022 coup, was originally scheduled to conclude with elections in July 2024.

No elections in sight

However, the current junta has extended its rule by five years from July 2024 through a new charter. This charter also allows Captain Traoré to run in future presidential, legislative and municipal elections once the extended term ends.

The military government has already dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) in October 2025 and suspended all political parties in February 2025, effectively silencing opposition voices.

“We aren’t even talking about elections right now,” Traoré said. “People need to forget about democracy—democracy isn’t for us.” His remarks were made during a rare two-hour interview with both local and international journalists, including Italy’s public broadcaster Rai and Britain’s Sky News.

Crackdown on international media

Since taking power, Burkina Faso’s military leadership—known for its hostility toward Western nations, particularly France—has banned or suspended several international news outlets and expelled foreign journalists.

Traoré also addressed the case of his predecessor, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who led the January 2022 coup. Damiba is accused of masterminding multiple coup attempts and faces charges including corruption. He was recently extradited to Ouagadougou from Togo at Burkina Faso’s request.

“A judge has already reviewed his case… he’s in the hands of the justice system,”

Burkina Faso has been grappling with a decade of jihadist violence that has claimed thousands of lives. While the army and its civilian auxiliaries, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), have been accused by NGOs of killing civilians, Traoré dismissed these allegations, claiming “there’s no evidence.”

The junta leader also confirmed that Russia, a key ally, supplies military equipment but does not train Burkina Faso’s forces. “On the ground, it’s Burkinabè soldiers who are fighting,” he stated.