Democracy kills and the people of Burkina Faso must forget it, the country's military ruler has said in an interview aired on state television.
Capt Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a coup three years ago, suggested most Africans do not want the system of democracy and that Burkina Faso had its own, alternative approach, without giving details.
Traoré initially pledged to restore democratic rule to the West African country by July 2024, but two months before this deadline, the junta announced it would extend its rule for another five years.
In January, the authorities announced a ban on all political parties as part of a plan to rebuild the state.
In his interview, Traoré stated, People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us. Look at Libya, this is an example close to us, he said, positioning 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, and the north African country has since failed to hold elections and is split between two rival administrations, along with numerous armed groups.
Wherever they [Western powers] try to establish democracy in the world, it's always accompanied by bloodshed, Traoré asserted 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 organized elections which they have gone on to win.
Traoré also addressed the dissolution of political parties, considering them to be divisive and dangerous. He remarked that, 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.
Without proposing clearly defined alternatives, he affirmed, 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 emphasized establishing a new system rooted in sovereignty, patriotism, and revolutionary mobilization.
Despite suppression of dissent during his rule, Traoré has amassed significant support for his pan-Africanist vision and critique of Western influence. Similar to its junta-led neighbors Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has shifted away from collaboration with Western countries in combating Islamist militants and turned towards Russia for military assistance, although violence has continued unabated.
On Thursday, a report by Human Rights Watch indicated that more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since Traoré seized power in 2023, with two-thirds attributed to the military and allied militias.
