Burkina Faso’s military government said it has arrested eight staff members of the Dutch-based International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) on accusations of “spying and treason,” allegations the group rejects.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said the detainees include three Europeans, a Malian and four Burkinabè — among them INSO’s country director and deputy — and accused the organisation of collecting and transmitting sensitive security information to foreign powers.
INSO “categorically” denied the charges. Representative Anthony Neal told the BBC that the country director has been held since July, when authorities suspended INSO for three months over “collecting sensitive data without authorisation,” and that seven others were detained later. He said INSO halted information-gathering on 31 July but staff remained to handle the detentions and contractual obligations.
In a statement, INSO said the information it gathers is non-confidential and intended to improve the safety of aid workers, adding that Burkinabè authorities were aware of and had cooperated with its mandate. Neal said the group has sought dialogue to resolve misunderstandings, noting a “record” number of aid worker fatalities globally this year.
Burkina Faso, led by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré since a 2022 coup, has strained ties with Western partners, ended cooperation with France and turned to Russia for security assistance as it battles an Islamist insurgency. Rights groups accuse the army of abuses against civilians and of curbing dissent and free expression.