Ce numéro de la revue de presse n’est actuellement disponible qu’en allemand et en
anglais.
Burkina Faso’s parliament confirms ban on political parties
On Monday, the transitional parliament in Ouagadougou unanimously passed a law dissolving all political parties in Burkina Faso. The law annuls the charter of political parties and the legal regulations on party and election campaign financing, and abolishes the official status of the political opposition. The assets of the dissolved parties will be transferred to the state. In doing so, the parliament confirmed a decree issued just two weeks earlier that provided for the complete dissolution of the parties. Public activities by political parties had already been suspended since the military coup in September 2022 that brought General Ibrahim Traoré to power (Press review CW 43/2022); however, internal party work remained permitted. With the new law coming into force, this possibility is also eliminated, meaning that parties completely lose their legal status.
The government defended the move as a necessary measure during the political transition phase. The previous party system had contributed to social division and weakened social cohesion, explained Émile Zerbo, Minister for Territorial Administration. Parties had not adhered to the normative principles on which they were founded and had encouraged clientelism and corruption. In addition, the multitude of political formations had fragmented the political landscape. Zerbo described the dissolution of the parties as a political ‘new beginning’ and an important step in rebuilding the state as part of the transition process that has been ongoing since 2022.
Criticism has come from political circles and civil society, among others, who see the measure as a further restriction on political participation and party political competition. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has also called on the Burkinabe government to lift the ban on political parties and end the repression of civil society. Since Traoré took power, the military junta has increasingly restricted civil society and weakened the separation of powers. For example, in November last year, the government issued a decree stipulating that, in future, non-governmental organisations may only open bank accounts with state-owned banks. In July, the authorities also restricted freedom of assembly through a new law and dissolved the Independent National Electoral Commission, which the government justified on the grounds of the institution’s high costs. In December 2023, a constitutional amendment placed the courts under the direct control of the government.
Observers view the dissolution of political parties as a further step towards consolidating the junta’s power. Before the coup in September 2022, more than 100 parties were registered, 15 of which were represented in parliament after the 2020 elections. However, Traoré’s government policy – including the dissolution of the parties – has also found support on social media; the 37-year-old has gained great popularity on the internet with anti-colonial and anti-imperialist messages. Meanwhile, the security situation in the country, which is fighting jihadist and other armed groups, has continued to deteriorate over the past three years. According to the African Centre for Security Studies, around 17,775 people had died as a result of violent incidents by May 2025, and around 60 per cent of the country’s territory is beyond state control.
Ghana and Zambia strengthen economic cooperation
Last Friday marked the end of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama’s three-day state visit to Lusaka. In addition to bilateral talks with his Zambian counterpart, President Hakainde Hichilema, the agenda also included a speech to the Zambian National Assembly and participation in the Zambia-Ghana Business Forum. The visit focused on strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of mining, agriculture, renewable energy, trade and investment, as well as financial technology and digital financial services.
As part of the talks between Mahama and Hichilema, a total of ten memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed last Thursday at the Zambian State House, as confirmed in a joint statement on Friday. The agreements include a visa waiver agreement that allows citizens of both countries to stay for up to 30 days without a visa. However, it remains unclear when exactly the agreement will come into force. In addition, the bilateral air services agreement (BASA) for direct flights between Accra and Lusaka was signed. Agreements on trade promotion and standardisation were also concluded between the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), as well as between Ghana’s Standards Authority and Zambia’s Bureau of Standards. The latter are intended to facilitate market access for companies, particularly in the technology and mining sectors, and to strengthen the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In addition, a new trade corridor is to be established to promote the position of both countries as hubs for the West African and Southern African markets and to strengthen economic ties between the markets. The cooperation also includes security cooperation. Both countries want to intensify the training of security forces in order to jointly counter cross-border threats in the region and secure stable democratic structures. During the Zambia–Ghana Business Forum on Friday, Ghanaian and Zambian fintech companies also concluded business deals with a total volume of over 7 million US dollars. Further business negotiations worth an estimated 65 million US dollars are currently still ongoing. In total, the deals are expected to create around 8,000 jobs in both countries.
On the sidelines of the visit, the traditional Ghanaian garment known as a fugu, which President Mahama wore upon his arrival, attracted attention and sparked a public debate about cultural symbolism. The fugu is a hand-woven cotton garment from Northern Ghana, where it is considered an expression of cultural identity and tradition and is worn on official occasions. Misleading comments in Zambian online discussions about the garment ultimately led to the introduction of a weekly “Fugu Day” in Ghana. As a result, interest in importing Ghanaian fugus was expressed in Zambia.
The visit follows the second meeting of the Zambia–Ghana Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC) in October 2025, a key framework for deepening bilateral relations, and served to review the implementation of joint projects. Against the backdrop of economic challenges, including high foreign debt, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and strict budgetary discipline, both countries are under pressure to reform in order to diversify their heavily commodity-dependent economies.
Special report: Mogadishu and Riyadh sign agreement on military cooperation
On Monday, Somalia’s Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Khalid bin Salman signed a memorandum on military cooperation in Riyadh. According to Fiqi, this agreement covers the areas of training, technical assistance and defence support in particular. By mid-January, Mogadishu had already concluded a defence agreement with Qatar, which covers military training, the exchange of expertise and the development of defence capabilities. The signing of the two agreements comes against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical rivalries in the Horn of Africa. In January, Somalia, which lies on one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes with its coastline on the Gulf of Aden, terminated all agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Press review CW 3/2026) and has since been reorienting its security partnerships. The UAE has long been considered Somalia’s most important security partner and competes with Qatar and Saudi Arabia for influence in the Horn of Africa. Following the termination of previous agreements and the recent ones with Riyadh and Doha, Mogadishu is adjusting its security policy in the current regional context.
In other news
Today marked the end of the 6th Festival International des Cultures Sahariennes (FICSA) in Amdjarass in northeastern Chad. After a seven-year hiatus due to the pandemic and the change of government in Chad in 2021, the festival returned this year. As guest of honor, Niger praised the festival as a contribution to promoting peace in a region marked by conflict and the effects of climate change; Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco, and Mauritania also took part. During the week-long event, dance and music groups, representatives of traditional storytelling, arts and crafts, and regional cuisine, as well as nomadic caravans from across the Sahara region, gathered against the backdrop of the Ennedi Massif, which was declared a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site in 2016. The highlight was camel races featuring more than 400 dromedary camels. Since its founding by Issouf Elli Moussami, the festival has developed into a rare meeting place where the common heritage of the desert ethnic groups is celebrated and regional cooperation is strengthened. It honors the living legacies of the ancestors, addresses the challenges of today’s lifestyles, and at the same time aims to provide economic impetus for the region. Amdjarass is considered an important crossroads of historic nomadic routes to Sudan and Libya and is still home to numerous nomadic groups today.