Burkina Faso’s military government has detained eight aid workers, accusing them of espionage and leaking sensitive military data to foreign governments.
Authorities said the workers, all employed by the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), allegedly gathered detailed intelligence on army operations, including troop deployments, convoy routes, and operational zones. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana made the announcement in a statement released Tuesday.
Those detained include two French nationals, one of them INSO’s country director, along with a Czech citizen, a Malian, and four Burkinabe nationals. Officials have not disclosed when the arrests took place.
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INSO, a Netherlands-based organization that provides safety information for humanitarian groups operating in conflict zones, rejected the allegations. It said the data it collects is intended solely to help aid workers navigate security risks.
“The information we collect is not confidential and is largely already known to the public,” the organization said in its statement, adding that it was cooperating with authorities to secure the release of its staff.
Burkina Faso’s junta, which seized power in 2022 claiming it would restore stability, has faced mounting criticism for its handling of the country’s security crisis. Attacks by armed groups have continued to rise, with large swaths of territory now outside government control.
Human rights advocates have also accused the military regime of silencing dissent through arbitrary arrests and forced conscription of critics under the pretext of national defense.
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