Saturday, December 6, 2025 - An international NGO operating in Burkina Faso says eight of its staff who were arrested by the country’s military authorities on accusations of spying have been released after several months in detention.
The Netherlands based International NGO Safety Organization
said in a statement on Friday that its personnel were freed at the end of
October. “INSO welcomes the safe release of our colleagues, and appreciates the
support that made this possible,” the organization said.
The workers had been detained in July, although the arrests
were only made public by Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta in early October.
The eight included a French national, a French Senegalese woman, a Czech
citizen, a Malian and four Burkinabe nationals.
Burkina Faso’s military rulers, who took power in a coup in
September 2022, had in July revoked the authorization of 21 NGOs, among them
INSO. Authorities accused the organization of collecting and passing sensitive
security information about the country to foreign powers and of continuing to
operate secretly despite the ban.
INSO, which provides security analysis for other
humanitarian agencies, has firmly rejected the allegations. “As a humanitarian organization,
we remain committed to supporting humanitarian organizations delivering aid
safely to all those in need,” it said on Friday. The group noted it has worked
in Burkina Faso since 2019 “following requests to support NGOs there” to
improve safety for humanitarian staff and operations. “We strive to uphold the
humanitarian principles everywhere we work,” the statement added.
Rights groups say Burkina Faso’s authorities frequently
clamp down on dissent, including within civil society and the media, while
justifying restrictions as part of efforts to combat jihadist violence that has
gripped the country for around a decade. Armed groups that have sworn
allegiance to al Qaeda or the Islamic State group continue to stage deadly
attacks across large parts of the country.
At the end of 2024, Niger, a neighbouring state also ruled
by a military junta, withdrew INSO’s authorization to operate on its territory
as well.
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