(Bloomberg) -- Burkina Faso will allow junta leader Ibrahim Traore to contest the next presidential election, becoming the second West African nation under military control to delay a return to civilian rule. 

The transition will be extended by five more years from July 2, Col. Moussa Diallo, president of the national dialog’s organizing committee, said at the end of the talks that included lawmakers, security and defense forces, and religious and civil society leaders. This will push elections that fall due this year to 2029.

Burkina Faso has been under military rule since 2022 when soldiers carried out two coups that they justified largely due to the nation’s persistent insecurity. Islamist militants — some affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State, have waged a bloody insurgency since 2019 that has killed thousands and displaced millions. 

Read more: Gold Output Falls in Burkina Faso as Terrorist Attacks Increase

The junta initially proposed a 21-month transition with the deadline to hold elections expiring this year. Traore, a 36-year-old army captain, has repeatedly said he won’t organize a vote until the army has retaken full control of its territory. 

Earlier this month, junta-ruled Mali proposed to extend its transition by three years, allowing for military leader Col. Assimi Goita to rule Africa’s third-biggest gold producer until 2027. 

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.