By AFP More by this AuthorElections 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 to the day after coming to power in a coup. "It's not a priority, I'll tell you that clearly, it's security that's the priority in a country plagued by militia violence," he told reporters, referring to elections. Several thousand people demonstrated on Friday in Ouagadougou and other cities in support of the military regime, calling for the adoption of a new constitution. When Traore seized power, he gave himself "two to three months" to improve security in Burkina Faso, but one year on, militia violence still blights the nation. Asked about the attempted coup, Traore alluded to "manipulated individuals" and insisted there was "no malaise" in the army.

Source: Daily Nation September 30, 2023 15:42 UTC