Eight humanitarian workers linked to the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO) were released in Burkina Faso on Friday, months after being detained over spying allegations.
The workers had been held by the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore, accused of involvement in activities the government deemed sensitive to national security.
INSO confirmed their release, welcoming the safe return and expressing gratitude for support from partners that helped secure their freedom.
Among the freed were a French national, a Czech citizen, a French-Senegalese woman, and several Burkinabe humanitarian personnel, reflecting the group’s international composition.
Authorities arrested the workers during a wider sweep in the capital targeting individuals suspected of collecting or transmitting restricted information.
Their detention alarmed the humanitarian community, which depends on INSO’s security coordination amid escalating militant violence across Burkina Faso.
Aid agencies and diplomatic missions quietly appealed for clarity, urging officials to respect due process and ensure protection of humanitarian operations.
In July, the junta withdrew operational approval for 21 NGOs, including INSO, accusing some groups of undermining state security since the September 2022 coup.
The move forced humanitarian partners to scale back activities just as violence and displacement surged, heightening challenges for vulnerable populations.
Burkinabe officials provided no explanation for the release, stating only that the investigation had run its course and the matter was concluded.
Since Traore seized power, Burkina Faso has tightened controls on international organizations, frequently accusing external actors of interference and undermining sovereignty.
