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| Ibrahim Traore |
The military leadership of Burkina Faso, which has been in control following a coup in 2022, is set to prolong its governance for an additional five years, as agreed upon during the national consultations held on Saturday, according to the event's coordinator.
"Starting from July 2, 2024, the transitional period is established to be 60 months," stated Colonel Moussa Diallo, the head of the national dialogue's organizing committee, subsequent to the discussions.
He also mentioned that Ibrahim Traore, the coup leader and interim president, is eligible to participate in any forthcoming elections after the transitional phase.
Initially planned as a two-day national dialogue commencing on Saturday, the discussions aimed to outline the transition towards civilian governance for the West African country, which is struggling with extremist violence.
Since 2022, the military has been ruling Burkina Faso, justifying its two coups largely on the grounds of ongoing security challenges.
Militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have been conducting a relentless insurgency since 2015, resulting in the death of thousands and the displacement of millions.
A preceding national dialogue led to the adoption of a charter that appointed Traore as the president and established both a government and a legislative body.
The newly consented charter from Saturday's agreement will abandon the use of quotas for allocating seats to members of established parties within the assembly. "Patriotism" will now serve as the sole criterion for the selection of assembly members.
The original charter had determined a 21-month timeframe for the transition to civilian leadership, with the deadline approaching on July 1. However, Traore has consistently expressed concerns about the feasibility of conducting elections amidst the dire security conditions.
Participants in this weekend's dialogue included civil society figures, security and defense personnel, and members of the transitional legislative body, although the majority of political parties chose to abstain from the discussions.
