By Dalena Reporters | October 8, 2025
The military government of Burkina Faso has arrested eight workers of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) on allegations of espionage and threats to national security, escalating tensions between the junta and foreign humanitarian agencies operating in the West African nation.
According to reports, those arrested include three European nationals — a French citizen, a French-Senegalese, and a Czech — along with a Malian and four Burkinabè staff members, among them INSO’s country director and deputy director.
Authorities accuse the NGO of collecting and transmitting sensitive security information without official clearance, including details about military operations, convoy movements, and security zones.
The junta claims that INSO, despite being suspended for three months since July 31, 2025, continued to operate secretly and hold “unauthorized meetings” across several regions.
“The organisation was found to be gathering intelligence under the cover of humanitarian work,” a security official told local media.
INSO, based in the Netherlands, has denied all allegations, insisting that the data it collects is intended solely to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers in conflict-affected zones.
“Our work is strictly humanitarian. We do not engage in intelligence or political activities,” the organisation said in a statement.
The arrests have sparked growing concern within the international humanitarian community, which fears that the junta’s latest crackdown could further restrict access and operations in parts of Burkina Faso already facing severe insecurity and displacement crises.
Burkina Faso has been under military rule since September 2022, when Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power, pledging to restore security in the face of jihadist insurgencies. The regime has since expelled French troops, restricted foreign media, and adopted policies aimed at reducing Western influence in the country.
Observers warn that the latest development may worsen relations between the junta and Western governments as well as international NGOs operating in the Sahel.