Burkina Faso's Junta Accuses NGO Workers of Espionage Amid Tensions

Fri Oct 10 2025 11:02:32 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The military government of Burkina Faso has detained eight NGO workers, alleging espionage activities against national interests. The International NGO Safety Organisation refutes these claims as they navigate strained relations with the junta.

Burkina Faso's military junta has arrested eight individuals associated with a Dutch-based humanitarian organization, claiming involvement in espionage and treason. The detainees include three Europeans, a Malian, and four Burkinabé. The government alleges that they were collecting sensitive security information, a claim the International NGO Safety Organisation has categorically denied. This incident reflects the junta's fraught relationship with Western aid organizations since their rise to power and an ongoing crackdown on perceived threats to national security.

Burkina Faso's military government announced the arrest of eight members of a Dutch-based humanitarian organization, accusing them of spying and treason. The group includes three Europeans, a Malian, and four Burkinabé, including the NGO's country director and deputy.

Security Minister Mahamadou Sana stated that the NGO had collected and passed on sensitive security information that could be detrimental to national security and the interests of Burkina Faso, to foreign powers. In contrast, the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) firmly denied these allegations.

Anthony Neal, a representative of INSO, disclosed that the organization's Burkina Faso country director had been detained since July when the authorities suspended the NGO's operations. Seven others were arrested later. Neal emphasized that they seek the immediate and safe release of their detained colleagues.

The NGO faced a three-month suspension beginning on July 31 for supposedly collecting sensitive data without appropriate permissions. INSO maintains it had ceased any information-collection activities on that date, though they stayed in the country to attend to contractual duties and address the situation concerning the detentions.

Despite the suspension, the junta claims that NGO members continued to covertly gather information and conduct meetings. Neal refuted this, stating that their activities had been halted. He added that the information gathered was not confidential but instrumental for the safety of humanitarian workers, reiterating that Burkinabé authorities were well aware of their operations and had cooperated.

Burkina Faso's military government, led by Capt Ibrahim Traore since a coup three years ago, has a history of fraught relations with Western nations, especially following its shift away from cooperation with France in favor of military support from Russia amidst a worsening Islamist insurgency.

Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the junta's actions, accusing the military of abuses against civilians, suppression of political dissent, and stifling freedom of expression.