Burkina Faso Arrests European NGO Workers for ‘Spying’

Burkina Faso Arrests European NGO Workers for ‘Spying’
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Burkina Faso’s military government announced the arrest of eight staff members of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), a Netherlands-based humanitarian group, accusing them of “spying and treason,” Al Jazeera reported.

The nonprofit organization has vehemently rejected the allegations.

Security Minister Mahamadou Sana stated those detained included nationals from France, Czechia, Senegal, Mali, and four from Burkina Faso. Sana claimed the staff had continued to “clandestinely” collect and pass on “sensitive security information that could be detrimental to national security” to foreign powers, even after INSO was banned for three months in July.

INSO, which specializes in humanitarian safety, “categorically” rejected the charges. The organization affirmed that it collects information “exclusively for the purpose of keeping humanitarians safe” and that the data is not confidential. The arrests reflect the military government’s growing shift away from Western ties in favor of closer relations with Russia. Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups have accused the fighters, the military and partner forces of Burkina Faso of possible atrocities.