Burkina Faso’s military government has arrested eight foreign aid workers on suspicion of espionage, in a move that highlights the country’s growing mistrust of Western organizations operating in the Sahel.
- Burkina Faso’s military government arrested eight foreign aid workers for alleged espionage.
- The accused include members of the Dutch-based International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO).
- Authorities claim INSO passed on sensitive security information threatening national security.
- Rights groups raise concerns about worsening humanitarian access amidst ongoing tensions.
Burkina Faso’s military government has accused eight staff members of a Dutch-based humanitarian organisation of espionage and treason, in a move that further highlights the growing rift between the Sahel’s ruling juntas and Western institutions.
The detainees, three Europeans, a Malian, and four Burkinabé, include the International NGO Safety Organisation’s (INSO) country director and deputy, according to Security Minister Mahamadou Sana.
Authorities allege that INSO “collected and passed on sensitive security information” that could undermine Burkina Faso’s national security and benefit foreign powers.
The NGO, which provides security guidance to humanitarian groups, has categorically denied the accusations, calling for the immediate release of its staff.
A growing distrust of Western organisations
The arrests come amid an escalating campaign by the military-led Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, to assert sovereignty and reduce Western influence.
Since Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in 2022, Burkina Faso has expelled French troops, suspended multiple European NGOs, and restricted international media operations including those of the BBC and Voice of America.
The country suspended INSO on 31 July for “collecting sensitive data without authorisation,” and now claims the organisation continued its activities in secret.
INSO’s representative, Anthony Neal, told the BBC that data collection had stopped immediately after the suspension and insisted the organisation’s work was transparent, designed solely to enhance aid worker safety in conflict zones.
He added that INSO’s leadership had been trying to engage the Burkinabé government to resolve misunderstandings, stressing that “safety information is not confidential, it is about keeping humanitarian staff alive in one of the world’s most dangerous regions.”
The AES and its break from Western institutions
The latest arrests mirror similar actions in Mali and Niger, where the governments have expelled foreign media and aid agencies, accusing them of espionage and disinformation. The AES bloc has increasingly distanced itself from Western governments and is currently pursuing plans to withdraw collectively from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which they accuse of bias and neo-colonial interference.
Analysts say these moves reflect the AES states’ growing alliance with Russia, whose military and diplomatic support they now rely on to combat Islamist insurgencies.
For Ouagadougou, the crackdown on NGOs and foreign institutions aligns with a broader strategy of information control and state consolidation in the face of a volatile security environment.
As Burkina Faso’s junta doubles down on its anti-Western stance, rights groups warn that humanitarian access could further deteriorate, deepening the suffering of civilians caught between jihadist violence and military reprisals.
