Burkina Faso Arrest NGO Workers Over Spying Allegations

Burkina Faso’s military government has detained eight staff members of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) on accusations of treason. The detainees, arrested on October 3, 2025, include a French national, a French-Senegalese woman, a Czech national, a Malian, and four Burkinabè staff. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced the arrests in a statement broadcast on state television, alleging that the group collected and transmitted sensitive security information to foreign entities. According to the minister, investigations showed that INSO continued to operate secretly after its suspension in July, conducting meetings and gathering information discreetly in violation of national directives. 

INSO, a Hague based humanitarian safety organisation, has rejected the accusations. In a statement on its website, the group firmly denies claims of spying and insists that its work is limited to gathering publicly available information to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers in volatile regions. The organisation stated that its activities in Burkina Faso were registered with the relevant ministries and carried out in full transparency. INSO also confirmed that it is working with local authorities and diplomatic channels to secure the release of its detained staff.

The arrests are the latest sign of deteriorating relations between Burkina Faso’s ruling junta and Western organizations. INSO had been suspended on July 31 after authorities accused it of operating without proper authorisation and collecting information deemed sensitive to national security. The government did not provide specific details about the type of information allegedly gathered or evidence to support the espionage charges. Since the suspension, INSO’s country director and deputy have reportedly remained under scrutiny, with local media suggesting they were among those detained in the latest wave of arrests.

Burkina Faso has experienced an increasingly tense relationship with the  international community since the military seized power in 2022. The junta, led by Captain Traoré, has repeatedly accused Western partners of interference and has sought to reorient the country’s alliances toward Russia and other non Western states. In September, Burkina Faso joined Mali and Niger in announcing its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, underscoring a broader shift away from Westernization. In recent months, the government has expelled diplomats, restricted certain media outlets, and intensified scrutiny of NGOs operating in the country. The arrests of INSO staff mark the first known instance in which foreign humanitarian workers have been formally accused of espionage under the current administration. The incident also exposes the growing risks for humanitarian operations in the Sahel region, where insecurity has forced millions to flee their homes. 

INSO plays a key role in providing safety analysis and incident reports to help NGOs navigate conflict affected areas. Aid agencies warn that if the arrests are not resolved quickly, the situation could discourage other organisations from operating in Burkina Faso, worsening its  humanitarian crisis. According to humanitarian monitors, more than two million people in the country have been displaced by ongoing conflict between security forces, community militias, and armed groups linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

As of Wednesday, the Burkinabè authorities have not disclosed where the detained workers are being held or whether they will face formal charges. The governments of France, the Czech Republic, and Mali have yet to issue public statements on the matter, though diplomatic sources told local media that quiet negotiations are under way. International rights observers have called for transparency and due process, urging Burkina Faso to clarify the legal grounds for the arrests. 

The case comes at a time when the Burkinabe  government is asserting greater control over civil society and the flow of information in the name of national security. The charges against INSO reflect a wider trend of mistrust between the junta and Western backed organisations, raising fears of shrinking humanitarian space across the Sahel. For now, the detentions remain a test of how far Burkina Faso’s military government is willing to go in its pursuit of sovereignty and whether humanitarian neutrality can survive the deepening rift between the state and its former international partners.