The Burkinabè people must “forget” democracy, declared Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the country’s military leader, during a televised press conference on April 2. Traoré came to power in September 2022 through a coup, marking the second such event in eight months.

The political transition, initiated after the January 2022 coup, was originally set to conclude with elections in July 2024. However, the current junta has extended its rule by five years from that date, while also granting Traoré the right to stand in elections scheduled for 2029.

No elections in sight

The military regime has already dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) in October 2025 and banned political parties—whose activities had been suspended—earlier this year. “We’re not even talking about elections right now,” Traoré stated. “People must forget about democracy—it’s not for us. We are not in a democracy,” he added, echoing remarks he made last year.

The interview, which lasted over two hours, was conducted by journalists from Burkinabè and international outlets, including Italy’s public broadcaster Rai and the UK’s Sky News—a rare occurrence in the current climate.

Crackdown on international media

Since seizing power, Traoré’s anti-Western, particularly anti-French, military regime has suspended or banned numerous international media outlets and expelled several journalists. During the interview, Traoré also addressed the case of his predecessor, former Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who took power in the January 2022 coup.

Damiba faces charges of masterminding multiple coup attempts and corruption. He was recently extradited to Ouagadougou from Togo at Burkina Faso’s request. “A judge has already seen him… he is in the hands of the justice system,” Traoré stated.

“The Burkina Faso has been grappling with jihadist violence for nearly a decade, resulting in thousands of deaths.”

Traoré denied accusations that the army and its civilian auxiliaries, the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), have killed civilians—claiming there is “no evidence” to support such claims. He also asserted that while Russia, Burkina Faso’s ally, provides equipment, “no one trains the Burkinabè army,” and that Burkinabè soldiers are fighting on the front lines.