Burkina Faso’s military government has arrested eight staff members of the Dutch humanitarian organization International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) on charges of “spying and treason”.
The detainees include a French man, a French-Senegalese woman, a Czech man, a Malian, and four Burkinabe nationals.
According to Security Minister Mahamadou Sana, the staff members continued working for the organization despite a three-month ban for allegedly “collecting sensitive data without authorization”.
Sana claimed they collected and passed on sensitive security information to foreign powers, which INSO categorically denies.
The organization asserts it collects information solely to ensure humanitarian safety and that the data is not confidential.
This move comes as Burkina Faso distances itself from Western powers, particularly France, and forges closer ties with Russia.
