Burkina Faso's military government extends mandate by 5 years

Burkina Faso military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore (C) attends the closing ceremony of the 28th Pan-African Film and television Festival (FESPACO), in Ouagadougou, on March 4, 2023. – Tunisian director Youssef Chebbi won the coveted Stallion of Yennenga award Saturday at the biennial pan-African Fespaco film festival for his murder mystery oeuvre “Ashkal”. Tunis-born Chebbi, whose film centres on the investigation into the killing of a caretaker on a construction site at Carthage on the outskirts of his hometown, did not attend the ceremony in Burkina Faso, presided over by military leader Ibrahim Traore. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP)

Burkina Faso’s military government decided to extend its mandate for another five years following national consultations over the weekend in the capital Ouagadougou.

The meetings evaluated the transitional government’s performance since the military coup in September 2022.

Following discussions with civil society representatives, religious leaders and politicians, an agreement was reached to keep the ruling junta in power for another 60 months starting from July 2.

President Ibrahim Traore might run as a candidate in democratic elections scheduled in five years.

Traore assumed office on Sept. 30, 2022, succeeding Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who also seized power in a coup.

Damiba had ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in January 2022 to assume control of the government.