Sema Fonkem 30 Jan 2026

In a latest move to tighten control, president Ibrahim Traoré and his ministers have suspended all political parties in Burkina Faso.

According to the Interior Minister Emile Zerbo, the decision to dessolve political parties will bring an end to wastage of state resources caused by the country’s multiparty system.

When Traoré took over power in 2022 after removing Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba through a coup, he quickly gained the hearts of Africans who have been seeking liberation from the leadership of leaders deemed under the influence of neo-colonialism.

Before the ban, Burkina Faso had 100 parties with 15 of them represented in parliament.

Although Zerbo, claims that this move is to reduce chaos and rebuild a functional state, the fact that Traoré’s recent ban on political activities is a reflection of a distasteful practice seen with unpopular leaders such as Paul Biya of Cameroon, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and many others described as dictators, Traoré’s light has been dimmed.

This pattern to gain total control is very common among power hungry leaders as seen throughout history. When Traoré took over power in September 2022, he promised to restore civilian rule and order by 1st of July 2024 but instead he extended military control of state affairs for another five years.

Although many citizens support Traoré’s decision, the regime has received some backlash on social media from those who view this action as form of suppression of rivalry.

The ban of political parties means that Traoré is anti-democracy and also an indication he is becoming afraid to lose power and face possible jail term or exile. At this point, it is fair to say he may decide to hold on to power for a very long time as seen in the likes of Paul Biya of Cameroon, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Late Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. These are examples of leaders who came into power with plenty of love and admiration but ended up being despised by majority of the public in during their last days.