Junta leader of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore has declared that democracy is “slavery”, insisting that Burkina Faso must chart a radically different political path built on “total independence”.
Speaking in an interview marking one year of his ideological programme, the Popular Progressive Revolution (RPP), Traore dismissed Western democratic models as violent and imposed systems.
“Democracy is killing. Wherever they want to install it in the world, it’s in the blood,” he said. “Democracy is slavery. There is no democracy in this world.”
The 38-year-old military leader, who seized power in a 2022 coup, argued that democracy is a tool of imperialism used to dominate weaker nations. He urged citizens to abandon expectations of democratic governance altogether.
“People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us,” he said, citing Libya as a cautionary example.
Traoré’s remarks come despite earlier promises to restore civilian rule by July 2024. Instead, his government extended military rule by five years shortly before the deadline and, in January, banned all political parties as part of what authorities described as a plan to rebuild the state.
He framed Burkina Faso’s direction as a revolutionary model for Africa, calling for a break from decades of governance influenced by Western ideals.
“We must be the flame that must illuminate the minds of other Africans to take the path of revolution,” he said.
The country has increasingly distanced itself from traditional Western allies such as France, alongside neighbours Mali and Niger.
All three nations have pivoted towards Russia for military support amid a prolonged Islamist insurgency. However, security challenges persist, with limited progress in curbing violence across the region.
Traoré maintains that his government’s reforms are strengthening economic and military self-reliance, even as critics warn that abandoning democratic structures could deepen instability.
