Emmanuel Akiwotu

Captain Ibrahim Traore told state television that, quote, People need to forget about the issue of democracy.

Democracy is not for us.

He didn't give details on what would replace it, but said, quote, We have our own approach.

Traore has become a cult figure in Africa and the diaspora, praised for cutting ties with former colonial ruler France and French companies.

and for promoting a pan-Africanist vision of the country.

But he has also shut down independent media and clamped down on critics, some of whom have been forcibly conscripted to the army and sent to conflict zones.

He initially promised to restore democratic rule soon after his takeover in 2022, but in 2024 he announced he would remain in power for five years.

Emmanuel Akiwotu, NPR News, Lagos.