Elections in Burkina Faso not a ‘priority’, says Military leader

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

Traore had promised a return to democracy with presidential elections by July 2024.

“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.

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.

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”.

VAN.