An international aid organisation has announced that eight of its staff members, who were arrested in Burkina Faso on spying accusations, have been released after months in military detention.
The International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), headquartered in the Netherlands, said in a statement on Friday that the workers were freed at the end of October. “INSO welcomes the safe release of our colleagues and appreciates the support that made this possible,” the group stated.
The staff were originally detained in July, though the ruling military junta only disclosed the arrests in early October. Those held included a French national, a French-Senegalese woman, a Czech citizen, a Malian and four Burkinabe employees.
Burkina Faso’s military government— which seized power in September 2022— had revoked the licences of 21 NGOs in July, including INSO. Authorities accused the organisation of secretly collecting and transmitting sensitive security information to foreign governments, and of continuing operations despite the ban.
INSO, which offers security assessments to humanitarian groups, dismissed the allegations, reiterating its commitment to supporting aid agencies. The organisation said it has worked in Burkina Faso since 2019 at the request of NGOs seeking improved safety for staff and operations. “We strive to uphold humanitarian principles everywhere we work,” it added.
Human rights groups say the Burkinabe authorities have increasingly cracked down on dissent, targeting civil society and the media under the justification of combating jihadist violence—a conflict linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates that has plagued the country for roughly a decade.
At the end of 2024, neighbouring Niger—also under military rule—likewise withdrew INSO’s authorisation to operate within its borders.
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