Burkina Faso’s military ruler has officially scrapped the country’s electoral commission, describing it as unnecessary and financially burdensome.
The announcement was made on state-run RTB TV, with the junta revealing that the Ministry of Interior will now be responsible for managing the country’s electoral process.
The move is part of a series of sweeping reforms implemented by the military rulers since seizing power in September 2022.
A nationwide election, initially scheduled to pave the way back to civilian rule, was expected to take place in 2024. However, the junta postponed it, extending the transition period until July 2029.
This decision allows current leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré to remain in charge and also makes him eligible to contest the next presidential race.
Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, stated that the electoral commission cost the government approximately $870,000 (about £650,000) annually.
He argued that dissolving it would “reinforce our sovereign control of the electoral process” while also minimizing foreign influence.
Since taking power, the junta has distanced itself from former colonial power France, turning instead to Russia for support in its ongoing battle against jihadist insurgents. Despite this pivot, the security situation remains dire.
The jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly carried out over 280 attacks in the first half of 2025 alone—more than double the number recorded during the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC.
In addition to growing insecurity, rights organizations have accused the Burkinabe military of committing human rights abuses, including the massacre of civilians and suppression of political freedoms and media expression.