Burkina Faso’s military-led government has arrested Romuald Yaro, deputy secretary general of the Patriotic Front, a civil society organization critical of the government.
This detention marks the latest in a series of arrests targeting dissenting voices in the country.
The Patriotic Front condemned Yaro’s arrest, labeling it an “enforced disappearance” carried out by intelligence agents without judicial oversight.
The group has received no information about the charges or Yaro’s whereabouts since his detention on March 30.
The military junta’s crackdown on critics has intensified in recent weeks.
Three Burkinabe journalists appeared in a video claiming to report from the front lines, sparking concerns about coercion and propaganda.
Five members of the political movement SENS, including a journalist, were abducted after condemning mass killings allegedly carried out by the military and affiliated militias.
The government also dissolved the Burkina Journalists’ Association after its president and deputy were arrested.
Burkina Faso has faced escalating insecurity due to insurgencies spilling over from neighboring Mali and Niger, exacerbating the political crisis and human rights concerns under the junta’s rule.
The country’s military-led government has been accused of using repression to silence critics and maintain control, raising concerns about the future of democracy and human rights in the region.
