Burkina calls national meetings to set next steps in transition

OUAGADOUGOU - Burkina Faso's military rulers have announced they will hold national consultations at the end of this month to determine the next steps in the country's transition to civilian rule.

The landlocked West African nation has been run by a military regime since mutinying soldiers deposed elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore in 2022.

Junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore then seized power in another coup on September 30, 2022.

He established a transitional government and legislative assembly for 21 months, a period set to expire on July 1.

"National meetings have been called for May 25 and 26 in Ouagadougou," according to a press release signed by Minister of Territorial Administration Emile Zerbo and read on national television Tuesday night.

"These meetings will enable representatives of the nation's active forces to deliberate on the next steps to be taken in the transition, which will run until July 1, 2024, as stipulated in the October 14, 2022 charter," the announcement said.

The meetings will bring together representatives from civil society, political parties and the military to "take stock of the past months ... decide whether to continue the transition and what that continuation will be," according to the minister's statement.

Last month, all 71 members of the legislative assembly for transition (ALT) approved a plan for a transition forum, leaving "it to the sovereign people who will meet during the national forum to decide the development of the transition".

Since 2015, Burkina's forces have been struggling to combat jihadist insurgencies that have killed thousands of people and forced around two million from their homes -- violence that army leaders used to justify their coups.

Traore initially promised a return to civilian rule with elections in 2024 but has since insisted that national security would take precedence over any vote.