Burkina Faso frees 8 NGO workers detained in October on spying allegations

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Eight humanitarian workers linked to the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) were released in Burkina Faso on Friday, with the group confirming that those detained in October over spying allegations had now been freed.

The workers had been held for several weeks by the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore, which accused them of involvement in activities it considered sensitive to national security.

INSO confirmed the release on Friday, saying it welcomed the safe return of those detained and appreciated the support that helped secure their freedom.

The eight individuals included a French national, a Czech citizen, a French-Senegalese woman, and multiple Burkinabe humanitarian personnel.

They were arrested during a broader sweep in the capital targeting individuals the junta suspected of collecting or transmitting restricted information.

The detentions had raised alarm within the humanitarian community, which relies heavily on INSO’s security coordination services amid widespread militant violence across Burkina Faso.

Aid agencies and diplomatic missions had quietly appealed for clarity on their status and urged authorities to respect due process.

In July, the junta that took power in the September 2022 coup withdrew operational approval for 21 nongovernmental organizations, among them the Netherlands-based INSO, accusing some groups of undermining state security.

The move forced several humanitarian partners to scale back activities just as violence and displacement were intensifying across the country.

Burkinabe officials did not provide details on what prompted the decision to free the group, only stating that the investigation had run its course.

Burkina Faso has imposed tighter controls on international groups since Traore seized power, frequently accusing external actors of interference.