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Burkina Faso

Monthly Event Reports

May 2023 | Massacre attributed to government soldiers

On 20 April, 147 civilians (including many women and children) were killed in the village of Karma in the north of Burkina Faso. Survivors of the massacre and international human rights organizations have reported that the perpetrators of the atrocity were uniformed members of the Burkinabe military. The military junta condemned the attack and claimed that it could have been carried out by militants who had stolen equipment from the military. A local prosecutor has begun an investigation.

March 2023 | Broadcasts of France24 suspended after Al-Qaeda interview

The military junta governing Burkina Faso announced an immediate suspension of the broadcasts of France24 on 27 March. The government statement claimed that by broadcasting material from a written interview with the leader of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the broadcaster had supported terrorism. This follows the suspension of Radio France Internationale in December. Advocacy groups have characterised the two moves as a slow-moving attack on media freedom in the country.

December 2022 | Junta claims to have foiled an attempted coup d’état

Following several days during which rumours of an attempted coup d’état circulated on social media, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the military junta that took power in Burkina Faso’s second coup of 2022 in September, claimed that a coup plot had been foiled. No one was reported to have been arrested. Capt. Traore claimed that he knew who was responsible and would engage them in dialogue.

October 2022 | Second coup d’état in the space of a year, but little violence
Red flag

On 30 September, Burkina Faso experienced its second coup d’état in the space of eight months. Lt Col Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba had taken power in a coup in January. He was removed from office in a relatively peaceful coup led by Capt Ibrahim Traore, who cited setbacks in the conflict between the Burkinabe military and Islamist insurgents as a justification for removing Lt Col Damiba. On 21 October, Capt Traore formally took office as transitional president. He is expected to remain in office until after elections that are planned for July 2024. Capt Traore has expressed interest in working with “new partners” in the country’s conflict with jihadist movements, and the leader of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group expressed his support for the coup.

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GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
21 497 100
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla (since 2022)
Head of government party
Not applicable
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
List Proportional Representation
Women in lower or single chamber
19.7%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2020
Effective number of political parties Tooltip
6.45
Head of state
President Ibrahim Traoré (de facto)
Selection process for head of state
Direct election (two-round majority)
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
07/05/2018
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
90.20%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
State Party
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
State Party
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
Regional Treaties
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
State Party
in
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Categories of Democratic Performance

Representation neutral Representation
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Representation neutral Rights
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Representation neutral Rule of law
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Representation neutral Participation
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Global State of Democracy Indices

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Representation
Representation
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/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

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