After a short period of political stability, Burkina Faso experienced two coup d’états in 2022 which led to the replacement of the elected president and parliament with a military junta. Though civil society and media outlets can still enjoy basic political freedoms, the regime is now considered fully autocratic.
The country faced a deepening security and humanitarian crises during the period under review. Due to increasing terrorist activities, a significant portion of the country, around 40%, is no longer under central government control. In contrast, the economy has shown surprising resilience. The former government has shown effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic which has contributed to the country’s economic recovery. However, pervasive poverty and social exclusion persist.
The ruling military junta focus is on the combat against the terrorist, including the deployment of paramilitary forces. While regaining control of the state’s territory is of outmost importance for the country, concerns are raising that this approach will exacerbate ethnic tensions.
