On October 8, 2025, Burkina Faso’s military government ignited international concern by announcing the arrest of eight humanitarian workers affiliated with the Netherlands-based International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO). Accused of espionage and treason, the detained group includes a mix of nationalities: two French nationals (one the country director), a Czech citizen, a Malian, and four Burkinabe nationals. The military government alleges these individuals provided sensitive security information to foreign powers—a charge that INSO has categorically rejected.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana delivered the government’s accusations in a statement, claiming that the INSO team "collected and passed on sensitive security information that could be detrimental to national security and the interests of Burkina Faso, to foreign powers." Specifically, Sana asserted that the NGO had documented details about the Burkinabe military’s operational zones, convoy routes, and personnel deployment numbers. These activities, the minister said, continued even after the government suspended INSO’s operations for three months at the end of July 2025 for allegedly collecting sensitive data without authorization.
The arrests unfolded in stages. According to INSO’s press release, Burkinabe Security Services first detained the country director at the NGO’s Ouagadougou office on July 28. Over the following weeks, four national staff members and three international staff—including the Global Director of Programmes, who had traveled to Burkina Faso to help resolve the situation—were also apprehended. The organisation, which has operated in Burkina Faso since 2019, said it was fully registered with relevant ministries and compliant with local laws.
INSO, a nonprofit dedicated to monitoring and reporting on safety trends for humanitarian workers in more than twenty countries, issued a firm rebuttal to the allegations. In a statement released on October 7, INSO declared, "We categorically reject the allegations about our activities in Burkina Faso." The organisation insisted its mission is strictly humanitarian: "We collect, analyse and distribute information to humanitarian actors. This is done exclusively to keep humanitarians safe. The information we collect is not confidential and is largely already known to the public." INSO further argued, "Associating our work to strengthen humanitarian safety with intelligence work is not only false but will only serve to place aid workers at greater risk."
Anthony Neal, an INSO representative, told the BBC that the group’s information collection activities ceased immediately after the suspension on July 31, 2025, but staff remained in Burkina Faso to handle the fallout and meet contractual obligations. "We continue to work towards their safe and immediate release," Neal said, emphasizing the importance of safety information for aid workers, especially in a year marked by record casualties among humanitarian staff worldwide.
The INSO case comes against a turbulent backdrop in Burkina Faso. Since a military coup in September 2022, the junta led by Captain Ibrahim Traore has ruled the country, promising stability but facing mounting challenges. The military government has distanced itself from Western partners—particularly its former colonial ruler, France—and has instead cultivated closer ties with Russia. Alongside neighboring Mali and Niger, also under military rule, Burkina Faso formed the Alliance of Sahel States, withdrawing from several regional and international organizations and reducing defense cooperation with Western powers. Niger’s nationalization of a uranium mine operated by French nuclear firm Orano is just one high-profile example of this shift.
The security crisis that prompted the 2022 coup has only deepened, with extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and other factions controlling large swathes of territory and frequently attacking army posts. According to conservative estimates, more than 60% of Burkina Faso is now outside of government control, over 2.1 million people have been displaced, and nearly 6.5 million require humanitarian aid to survive. In this climate, NGOs like INSO play a crucial role in facilitating the safe delivery of aid—though their presence has become increasingly fraught.
Human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch have repeatedly raised alarms about the conduct of all parties in the conflict. They have accused both armed groups and government forces—including their international partners—of possible atrocities against civilians. There are also serious concerns about the junta’s domestic policies. Critics say the government has imposed de facto censorship, cracked down on dissent, and even forcibly conscripted civilians into the military. As one INSO statement put it, "Associating our work to strengthen humanitarian safety with intelligence work is not only false but will only serve to place aid workers at greater risk."
INSO’s relationship with Burkinabe authorities prior to the arrests was, by their account, one of transparency and cooperation. The organisation claims the authorities were "fully aware" of its mandate and had previously cooperated with its operations. In the wake of the detentions, INSO says it has "fully cooperated with the Burkinabe authorities’ ongoing investigation, and we have sought on multiple occasions to open direct dialogue with the Ministre de la Sécurité and have offered to address any concerns they may have regarding our activities."
Despite these efforts, the government’s narrative remains unchanged. Security Minister Sana continues to assert that INSO’s activities crossed the line from humanitarian safety work into espionage. The government’s stance is that the collection and dissemination of military-related information—however public or benign the NGO claims it to be—poses a threat to national security, especially in a context where armed groups have repeatedly targeted government forces.
The arrests have sent shockwaves through the humanitarian sector, which is already operating under immense risk in Burkina Faso. Aid workers have been killed or kidnapped in record numbers in the Sahel region this year. The chilling effect of such high-profile detentions could further hamper efforts to deliver life-saving support to millions in need. INSO’s case is now being watched closely by international observers, who worry that the conflation of humanitarian work with espionage may set a dangerous precedent, not only in Burkina Faso but in other crisis zones where NGOs operate under suspicion.
As the government and INSO remain at loggerheads, the fate of the eight detained workers hangs in the balance. Both sides appear entrenched: the junta, wary of foreign influence and determined to assert control; INSO, steadfast in its defense of humanitarian principles and the safety of its staff. The coming weeks will reveal whether dialogue and diplomatic pressure can resolve the standoff—or whether the humanitarian space in Burkina Faso will continue to contract under the weight of suspicion and conflict.
For now, the eight aid workers remain behind bars, their future uncertain, and the broader humanitarian community anxiously awaiting what comes next in a country where the stakes could scarcely be higher.