–Capt.Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso

Democracy “kills” and the people of Burkina Faso must “forget” it, the country’s military ruler has said in an interview aired on state television.

Capt Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a coup three years ago, suggested most Africans do not want the system of democracy and that Burkina Faso had its own, alternative approach, without giving details.

Traoré initially pledged to restore democratic rule to the West African country by July 2024, but two months before this deadline, the junta announced it would extend its rule for another five years.

In January, the authorities announced a ban on all political parties as part of a plan to “rebuild the state”.

In Thursday night’s interview, Traoré said: “People need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us.

“Look at Libya, this is an example close to us,” said the 38-year-old, who casts himself as a revolutionary leader standing up to Western imperialism.

Libya was ruled autocratically for four decades by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who oversaw a brutal regime while also providing Libyans with subsidised housing, free education and free healthcare.
He was killed during a rebellion assisted by Western military intervention. The north African country has since failed to hold elections and is split between two rival administrations, along with numerous armed groups.

“Wherever they [Western powers] try to establish democracy in the world, it’s always accompanied by bloodshed,” Traoré said

In his interview.
While there has been a spate of military takeovers in recent years, most African countries do still hold regular elections, even if some are criticised as being rigged in favour of incumbents. Two military leaders – in Gabon and Guinea – have organised elections which they have gone on to win.

Traoré also addressed the dissolution of political parties, saying he considered them to be divisive, dangerous and incompatible with the revolutionary project.

“The truth is, politics in Africa – or at least what we’ve experienced in Burkina – is that a real politician is someone who embodies every vice: a liar, a sycophant, a smooth-talker,” he said.

The junta leader did not propose an alternative system, but said: “We have our own approach. We’re not even trying to copy anyone else. We’re here to completely change the way things are done.”

He emphasised building a new system rooted in sovereignty, patriotism and revolutionary mobilisation, with traditional leaders and grassroots structures playing a central role.
In a wide-ranging interview, he also emphasised the importance of economic and military self-reliance, as well as hard work, saying that working six- or eight-hour days would not enable Burkina Faso to catch up with richer countries.

Traoré has suppressed dissent during his rule, cracking down on the opposition, media and civil society groups. His government has even been accused of punishing critics by sending them to the front-lines of the war against Islamist militants.

Despite this, Traoré has gained a huge following across the continent for his pan-Africanist vision and criticism of Western influence.

Burkina Faso, like its junta-led neighbours Mali and Niger, has moved away from working with Western countries, especially France, in its fight against Islamist militants, which have waged a decade-long insurgency in the region.

All three have instead turned towards Russia for military assistance, but the violence has continued unabated.

On Thursday, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) said more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso since Traoré seized power in 2023.
The publication attributes two-thirds of the killings to the military and allied militias, with the rest blamed on Islamist militants.

Additional reporting by Omega Rakotomalala

“Qatar has declared the military and security attaches at the Iranian Embassy, along with their staff, “persona non grata” and has requested that they leave the country within 24 hours, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered an official note to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the State, stating that Qatar considers both the military attache and the security attache at the embassy, in addition to the staff of the two attache offices “persona non grata”, and requests that they leave the country within a maximum period of (24) hours,” an official statement from MFA Qatar read.

The ministry delivered an official note to the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran during a meeting between HE Director of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Yousif Fakhro and HE Ambassador of Iran to Qatar, Ali Salehabadi.

The ministry explained that the decision was made “in response to repeated Iranian targeting and the blatant aggression against the State of Qatar, which violated its sovereignty and security, in a flagrant breach of the principles of international law, United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2817, and the principles of good neighbourliness.”

The ministry added, “The continuation of this hostile approach by the Iranian side will be met with additional measures by the State of Qatar, in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests.”
It also affirmed that “the State of Qatar reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security, in accordance with the provisions of international law.”

Meanwhile, key energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf came under attack on Wednesday night (local time), with fires reported at a major facility in Qatar and aerial threats intercepted over Saudi Arabia, following warnings from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), CNN reported.

Qatar’s Interior Ministry said Civil Defence teams were responding to a blaze at the Ras Laffan Industrial City, a critical natural gas processing hub and cornerstone of the Qatari economy, “following an Iranian targeting,” according to a post on X on Wednesday.

QatarEnergy confirmed that Ras Laffan had been struck by missiles, causing “significant damage”. The company added that emergency teams were immediately deployed to control the fires and that all personnel were safe, with no casualties reported.

“QatarEnergy confirms that Ras Laffan Industrial City this evening has been the subject of missile attacks. Emergency response teams were deployed immediately to contain the resulting fires, as extensive damage has been caused. All personnel have been accounted for and no casualties have been reported at this time,” QatarEnergy wrote on X.

A member of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, John Husted, has argued that President Donald Trump is now confronting the long-term consequences of policies implemented under former President Barack Obama, particularly in relation to Iran.

Speaking during an interview on Fox Business on March 17, 2026, Husted framed current U.S. actions in the Middle East as corrective measures aimed at reversing what he described as earlier strategic missteps.
Watch the full video here →
“Barack Obama gave them the money to finance what President Trump is now dealing with,” Husted said, pointing to the broader trajectory of U.S.–Iran relations over the past decade.

Husted’s remarks come at a time of heightened military and geopolitical tensions, with Washington intensifying efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, ballistic missile development, and regional influence. The senator suggested that previous diplomatic engagements, including agreements reached during the Obama administration, contributed to conditions that allowed Iran to expand its capabilities.

His comments reflect a long-standing criticism among some U.S. policymakers, who argue that earlier engagement strategies did not sufficiently constrain Tehran’s activities. According to this view, Iran leveraged the economic and diplomatic space created during that period to strengthen its military infrastructure and deepen its involvement in regional conflicts.

The debate has gained renewed urgency amid ongoing operations involving the United States and its allies, as well as concerns over Iran’s ability to project power through proxy groups and strategic waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz. Husted’s framing positions the current administration’s approach as a necessary response to accumulated challenges rather than a standalone policy shift.

At the same time, defenders of the Obama-era strategy maintain that diplomatic efforts were designed to limit Iran’s nuclear program and avoid direct military confrontation, arguing that such agreements provided oversight mechanisms and reduced the immediate risks of escalation.

Husted’s comments underscore the broader partisan divide in Washington over how best to manage Iran’s role in global security. As tensions persist, the competing narratives—whether current actions are corrective or escalatory—continue to shape both domestic political discourse and U.S. foreign policy direction.