The military junta in Burkina Faso has been criticized for detaining eight aid workers from the International NGO Safety Organization (INSO), a Netherlands-based group that specializes in humanitarian safety. The workers, including four Burkinabè citizens and four foreigners, were arrested in late July and August 2025, with the authorities announcing the arrests on October 7. The junta has accused the workers of spying and treason, alleging that they collected and provided sensitive security information to foreign powers.

Human Rights Watch has condemned the detention, stating that the charges are baseless and that the workers’ detention sends a chilling message to aid groups operating in the country. The organization’s senior Sahel researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, noted that the detention fits into a wider pattern of government action against domestic and international non-governmental organizations, and occurs at a time when civic space in Burkina Faso has been shrinking.

INSO has rejected the accusations, stating that its work is focused on strengthening humanitarian safety and that associating its work with intelligence gathering is false and will put aid workers at greater risk. The organization has been working in Burkina Faso since 2016, providing advice on the security environment to allow non-governmental organizations to safely provide humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations.

The conflict in Burkina Faso has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and over 2 million displaced people since 2016, with 6.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024. The junta’s crackdown on civil society groups, critical media organizations, and the political opposition has been ongoing since it took power in a 2022 coup. The authorities have jailed, forcibly disappeared, and unlawfully conscripted activists, journalists, opposition party members, and judges and prosecutors.

The detention of the INSO workers has significant implications for the delivery of humanitarian aid in Burkina Faso. Aid workers have noted that accurate information on the security context is crucial to mitigate the risks faced by humanitarians and to plan aid operations effectively. The targeting of aid workers risks hindering the delivery of life-saving assistance to people desperately in need.

The international community has been critical of the junta’s actions, with the United Nations and other organizations calling for the release of the detained workers and an end to the crackdown on civil society. The situation in Burkina Faso remains dire, with ongoing conflict and humanitarian needs. The detention of the INSO workers is a significant setback for efforts to provide aid to those in need, and highlights the need for the international community to continue to pressure the junta to respect human rights and allow humanitarian organizations to operate freely and safely.