Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, has ordered the dissolution of all political parties in the country.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, who said the decision was approved by the Council of Ministers through a new decree.

According to Zerbo, the government believes the large number of political parties in Burkina Faso has encouraged abuse of the political system, deepened divisions among citizens, and weakened national unity.

He explained that the move is intended to give the country a chance to rebuild, adding that new laws governing the formation and operation of political parties would be introduced “as soon as possible.”

Before the military takeover, Burkina Faso had more than 100 registered political parties, with 15 of them securing seats in parliament following the 2020 general elections.

The decree officially dissolves all political parties and political groupings. It also provides for the repeal of existing laws on party organization, campaign financing, and the role of the opposition leader. These changes will be forwarded to the transitional council for consideration.

In addition, all assets belonging to the dissolved political parties will now be taken over by the state.