that were already limited since a 2022 coup. Interior Minister Emile Zerbo framed the move as part of a state-building effort to address alleged abuses in the multiparty system, claiming parties promoted division and weakened social cohesion. The decree formalizes the ban, removing any remaining space for party operations and indicating that a draft law will be sent to Burkina Faso’s Transitional Legislative Assembly soon. The country previously had over 100 registered parties; after the 2020 election, 15 were represented in parliament. Reactions were mixed: civil society voices criticized the crackdown as hindering progress and democracy, while some online supporters argued that excessive party fragmentation caused chaos, corruption, and clientelism. Traoré, who led the 2022 coup that ousted Damiba, had promised a return to civilian rule by July 2024 but extended his regime by five years in a subsequent decision. Despite an authoritarian reputation, Traoré has attracted continental followership for a pan-African stance and anti-Western critique. The broader regional context includes other West African coups and related restrictions on political institutions, with Guinea’s Mamady Doumbouya recently winning a presidential election by a large margin. (BBC)