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The military leader of Burkina Faso has announced that the country’s people should “forget about democracy” after dissolving political parties and delaying elections.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: Back in 2022, Ibrahim Traoré, a young army captain, came to power in Burkina Faso through a coup, overthrowing a previous military government amid widespread frustration over worsening insecurity. He initially gained strong support both domestically and across parts of Africa due to his anti-Western rhetoric and promises to restore stability, particularly by defeating Islamist militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS that have plagued the Sahel region for over a decade. Traoré vowed to prioritize the fight against terrorism and reclaim territory lost to insurgents, as these groups had already displaced millions and carried out deadly attacks across Burkina Faso and neighboring countries. Despite declaring an all-out war on these armed groups, violence has continued to escalate under his rule, with rising civilian casualties, persistent attacks, and large areas of the country still outside government control. In addition, his government has carried out crackdowns on dissent, targeting media outlets, political opponents, and civil society figures, with reports of critics being detained and some disappearing.

What’s going on now: During a rare televised press conference, Ibrahim Traoré doubled down on his rejection of democracy in the country, telling citizens that “people need to forget about the issue of democracy” and insisting that “democracy isn’t for us.” He went further, claiming that “democracy kills” and arguing that systems imposed by foreign powers have led to instability and bloodshed, pointing to Libya as an example where attempts to establish democracy resulted in chaos. Traoré added that Burkina Faso would pursue its own path centered on sovereignty and revolutionary change, though he did not clearly define what that system would look like.

He also addressed the issue of elections, saying earlier plans to hold a vote have been pushed back indefinitely, with the government insisting current security conditions make a nationwide election unrealistic.

His comments come after a series of sweeping political actions that have effectively dismantled the country’s political framework. Since taking power, authorities have eliminated dozens of political groups and shut down most formal political activity, steps Traoré has justified by arguing party politics creates division and weakens the country.

The remarks also come in the wake of a damning report by Human Rights Watch, which found that more than 1,800 civilians have been killed since Traoré took power, with government forces and allied militias responsible for a significant portion of those deaths. The report accused all sides (including terrorists) in the conflict of serious abuses, including war crimes. Traoré did not directly address the findings in detail during the press conference.