Election not a priority, says Burkina Faso junta

Elections in Burkina Faso are not a “priority” compared to “security”, the country’s military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore said on state TV, almost a year after coming to power in a coup. Traore, who had promised a return to democracy with presidential elections by July 2024, also announced planned changes to the constitution to make […]

Elections in Burkina Faso are not a “priority” compared to “security”, the country’s military leader Captain Ibrahim Traore said on state TV, almost a year after coming to power in a coup.

Traore, who had promised a return to democracy with presidential elections by July 2024, also announced planned changes to the constitution to make it representative of the “masses”.

“It’s not a priority, I’ll tell you that clearly, it’s security that’s the priority” in a country plagued by jihadist violence, he told reporters, referring to the elections.

When Traore seized power he gave himself “two to three months” to improve security in Burkina Faso, but one year on, jihadist attacks still blight the West African nation.

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At 34, Traore was the world’s youngest leader when he was sworn in as interim president, vowing to win back territory and support a transition leading to elections in July 2024.

Traore said he planned a “partial change” to the country’s constitution, saying on state TV the current text reflects “the opinion of a handful of enlightened people”, to the detriment of the “popular masses”.

Burkina Faso said on Thursday that four officers had been detained a day after the military government announced it had thwarted a coup attempt.

The junta said late on Wednesday that the intelligence and security services had foiled the attempt the previous day.

The military government said it would seek to shed “all possible light on this plot”.