Eight employees of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), including four foreign nationals, were arrested in Burkina Faso on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in a case that has raised tensions between humanitarian groups and the government.
The country’s Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, stated that the detainees will be presented to the public prosecutor on charges of alleged “espionage” and “treason.”
Authorities claim the individuals may have transmitted sensitive information to foreign entities.
INSO has firmly rejected the accusations.
Its security adviser, Jafar Bishtawi, told RFI that the organisation’s operations are conducted legally and in full transparency.
“We are making every effort to secure the release of our employees and continue our dialogue with the relevant authorities,” he said.
The arrested staff include the director of INSO and several senior team members.
The NGO, which provides security analysis for humanitarian actors, had suspended its activities in Burkina Faso since late July.
The government asserts that the organisation may have been involved in collecting and transmitting information related to national military positions—a claim INSO denies.
This incident comes amid a broader context of heightened scrutiny of international humanitarian organisations in Burkina Faso.
In recent months, several NGOs have been forced to reduce or suspend operations after authorities demanded increased transparency over foreign partnerships and activities on the ground.
Some programs have been temporarily reassessed or halted as part of this process.
Local sources report that other international NGO offices have faced similar temporary closures, with the government citing the need to maintain oversight over foreign actors operating within the country. Observers say the INSO case reflects this broader drive for stricter monitoring of humanitarian operations.
The eight detainees remain in custody as the investigation continues. They are expected to appear before the public prosecutor in the coming days as the judicial process unfolds.
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