Burkina Faso’s military regime, in power since a 2022 coup, will extend its rule for five years under an accord adopted during national consultations on Saturday, according to the talks’ chairman.
“The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024,” said Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairman of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process.
He also noted that coup leader and acting president Ibrahim Traore could run in any elections at the end of the transition period.
The national dialogue, which began earlier on Saturday and was originally planned to last two days, aimed to chart a path back to civilian rule for the West African nation struggling with jihadi violence.
The army has governed Burkina Faso since 2022, carrying out two coups justified largely by ongoing insecurity.
Jihadi rebels linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a relentless insurgency since 2015, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions displaced.
An earlier national dialogue produced a charter that appointed Traore as president and established a government and legislative assembly.
According to the newly adopted charter, quotas will no longer be used to allocate assembly seats to members of traditional parties. Instead, “patriotism” will be the sole criterion for selecting deputies.
“You have just rewritten a new page in the history of our country,” said Minister of Territorial Affairs Emile Zerbo, who opened the meeting on Saturday morning.
The initial charter had set the transition to civilian rule at 21 months, with the deadline expiring on July 1.
However, Traore repeatedly warned that holding elections would be challenging due to the perilous security situation.
The new charter also establishes a body called the “Korag” to “monitor and control the implementation of the country’s strategic vision in all areas and through all means.” The president has discretion over its composition and operations.
Representatives from civil society, the security and defense forces, and lawmakers from the transitional assembly engaged in the weekend discussions, while the majority of political parties chose to boycott.
Human rights organisations have leveled accusations against Burkina Faso’s junta leaders, alleging abuses against civilians during military campaigns against jihadis and suppression of media and opposition figures.
Following their assumption of power, the coup leaders expelled French troops and diplomats, opting instead to seek military support from Russia.
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