DAKAR, Senegal — Burkina Faso’s military-led government has initiated a controversial legal reversal by approving draft legislation to reintroduce the death penalty for severe crimes including treason, acts of terrorism, and espionage. The Council of Ministers formally endorsed the bill in a significant policy shift that marks a departure from the nation’s 2018 abolition of capital punishment.
Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala characterized the move as part of broader judicial reforms, stating in an official Facebook communiqué that the measure aligns with ‘the deep aspirations of our people’ for a justice system addressing contemporary challenges. The proposal must now undergo parliamentary approval and judicial review before attaining legal force.
This development occurs against a backdrop of sweeping governmental transformations implemented since the 2022 military coup. The ruling junta has previously postponed scheduled elections intended to restore civilian governance and dissolved the independent electoral commission. Concurrently, Burkina Faso has intensified media suppression, notably suspending BBC and Voice of America radio services for reporting on alleged military atrocities against civilians. Earlier this year, authorities detained three prominent journalists, continuing a pattern of suppressing dissenting voices.
Burkina Faso joins several West African nations experiencing military takeovers amid widespread public dissatisfaction with elected governments’ handling of security crises. The landlocked nation of 23 million people confronts escalating violence from extremist factions affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, particularly in the volatile Sahel region south of the Sahara. International observers have repeatedly accused the current regime of human rights violations and systematic detention of government critics.