Burkina Faso Parliament Approves Dissolution of all Political Parties
Last update: February 10, 2026
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Transitional parliament scraps party laws as junta tightens grip on power.
Burkina Faso’s junta led parliament has dissolved all political parties, whose activities have been suspended since the military seized power more than three years ago.
On Monday, the transitional legislature adopted a bill repealing the laws governing political parties and political groupings, according to a parliamentary statement seen on Tuesday.
The authorities first announced the plan two weeks ago, saying it was needed to promote national unity.
CBI News reports that president Ibrahim Traore, who took power in a September 2022 coup, has steadily narrowed political space, with critics arrested or forced into frontline service against jihadist groups.
The presidency has argued that the large number of political parties fostered abuse, deepened divisions and weakened social cohesion.
The move has drawn criticism from the United Nations, with rights chief Volker Turk urging Burkina Faso to reverse the ban and halt the repression of civic space.
Traore overthrew Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had himself come to power in an earlier coup just nine months before.
Under Damiba, political parties were barred from public rallies but allowed to continue operating.
Traore has emphasized sovereignty, cutting ties with France and other Western partners.
The country’s transition to civilian rule, initially set to end in July 2024, was extended by the junta by five years, allowing Traore to remain in power as Burkina Faso battles a decade long jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands.
