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Burkina Faso’s military ruler, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, stated in a televised interview that democracy "kills" and urged his citizens to "forget" the system. Traoré, who seized power in a coup three years ago, claimed that most Africans do not desire democracy and suggested Burkina Faso would pursue an unspecified alternative. Although he initially promised to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024, his administration, two months before this deadline, extended military rule for an additional five years.
In January, the authorities announced a ban on all political parties as part of a plan to "rebuild the state".
In Thursday night's interview, Traoré said: "People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us.
"Look at Libya, this is an example close to us," said the 38-year-old, who casts himself as a revolutionary leader standing up to Western imperialism.
Libya was ruled autocratically for four decades by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who oversaw a brutal regime while also providing Libyans with subsidised housing, free education and free healthcare. He was killed during a rebellion assisted by Western military intervention. The north African country has since failed to hold elections and is split between two rival administrations, along with numerous armed groups.
"Wherever they try to establish democracy in the world, it's always accompanied by bloodshed," Traoré said in his interview.
While there has been a spate of military takeovers in recent years, most African countries do still hold regular elections, even if some are criticised as being rigged in favour of incumbents. Two military leaders - in Gabon and Guinea - have organised elections which they have gone on to win.
Traoré also addressed the dissolution of political parties, saying he considered them to be divisive, dangerous and incompatible with the revolutionary protect.
"The truth is, politics in Africa – or at least what we've experienced in Burkina - is that a real politician is someone who embodies every vice: a liar, a sycophant, a smooth-talker," he said.
The junta leader did not propose an alternative system, but said: "We have our own approach. We're not even trying to copy anyone else. We're here to completely change the way things are done."
He emphasised building a new system rooted in sovereignty, patriotism and revolutionary mobilisation, with traditional leaders and grassroots structures playing a central role.