#military-coup

#military-coup

After several years of suspension, political parties in Burkina Faso have been formally dissolved by the military government, which has also seized all their assets in a move analysts say is a major blow for democracy in the West African nation. In a decree issued on Thursday, the government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, scrapped all laws which established and regulated political parties, accusing them of failing to comply with guidelines.

Ussu grew up in a small and unstable African country, a former Portuguese colony that was no stranger to attempted coups (the country is not being named to protect Ussu's identity). A good student, he dreamed of going to university to train to become a doctor, but he was required to complete two years of military service first. Once he was in the army, though, his superiors refused to release him. Years passed and there was still no sign of an exit route.

Marcel Malanga, 21, and his friend Tyler Thompson, with no prior military experience, stand among rebel soldiers during an assault on the Palais de la Nation in the DRC.