Burkina Faso's military regime, which seized power in a 2022 coup, has announced its intention to extend its rule for an additional five years.

This decision was made during national consultations on Saturday, according to Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairman of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process. The transition period has been fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024, and coup leader and acting president Ibrahim Traore will be eligible to run in any elections held at the end of the transition period.

The two-day national dialogue, which began on Saturday, aimed to find a way to return to civilian rule in the West African nation, which has been plagued by jihadist violence. The army has governed Burkina Faso since 2022, carrying out two coups justified by the country's persistent insecurity. Jihadist rebels affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a grinding insurgency since 2015, killing thousands and displacing millions.

An initial national dialogue adopted a charter that installed Traore as president and put in place a government and legislative assembly. Under the new charter agreed upon on Saturday, quotas will no longer be used to assign members of traditional parties seats in the assembly. Instead, "patriotism" will be deemed the sole criteria for selecting deputies. This move marks a significant shift in the country's political landscape.

The initial charter set the duration of the transition to civilian rule at 21 months, with a deadline due to expire on July 1. However, Traore had repeatedly warned that holding elections would be difficult given the perilous security situation. Despite this, civil society representatives, security and defense forces, and lawmakers in the transitional assembly participated in the talks. Most political parties, however, boycotted the talks, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the process.

The extension of the military regime's rule for five years has sparked controversy, with many questioning the country's ability to transition to civilian rule amidst the ongoing security crisis. The international community will be watching closely to see how this development unfolds and whether it will have a positive impact on the country's stability and democratic future.