government: parliamentary republic

state of civil and political rights: Not free

constitution: adopted June 11, 1991; temporarily suspended late October to mid-November 2014; initial draft of a new constitution to usher in the new republic was completed in January 2017 and a final draft was submitted to the government in December 2017; a constitutional referendum originally scheduled for adoption in March 2019 was postponed; on 1 March 2022 a transition charter was adopted

legal system: civil law based on the French model and customary law; in mid-2019, the National Assembly amended the penal code; has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration

legislative system: unicameral National Assembly

judicial system: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members); Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts

religion: Muslim 63.2%, Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%, traditional/animist 4.2%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2017-18 est.)

death row: 12 (end 2017)

year of last executions: 0-0-1988

death sentences: 0

executions: 0