Burkina Faso’s military government says it has arrested eight staff members of a Dutch humanitarian organisation on charges of “spying and treason” — allegations the group strongly denies.

Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced that the detainees worked for the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), a Netherlands-based group that supports aid operations. Those arrested include a French national, a French-Senegalese woman, a Czech, a Malian and four Burkinabe citizens.

According to Sana, INSO staff continued working after the government suspended the group in July for three months, accusing it of collecting sensitive data without authorisation. He alleged that the employees secretly held meetings and shared information that could harm Burkina Faso’s security with foreign powers.

INSO, headquartered in The Hague, rejected the accusations in a statement, saying it gathers information only to protect aid workers. “We categorically refute these allegations,” the organisation said, adding it was doing everything possible to secure the release of its colleagues.

The arrests highlight growing tensions between Burkina Faso’s ruling junta and international organisations. Since seizing power in a September 2022 coup, the military government has distanced itself from Western allies, particularly former colonial power France, and strengthened ties with Russia. Alongside Mali and Niger, it has withdrawn from regional bodies and created a new bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States.

The three countries continue to battle armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, while rights groups have accused both insurgents and security forces of committing abuses.

[Source: Aljazeera reporting]