The French head of an NGO in Burkina Faso specialising in humanitarian safety was arrested in Ouagadougou at the end of July on suspicion of spying, sources said Wednesday, confirming a media report.
Burkina Faso’s military junta has turned away from the West and, in particular, former colonial master France since it seized power in a September 2022 coup.
Security experts contacted by AFP said the French national, who is the country leader for the INSO organisation in the West African state, was accused of espionage.
He is “well treated” and his organisation is in contact with Burkinabe authorities to secure his release, a source said.
INSO, based in the Netherlands, provides security analyses for other humanitarian organisations.It
It was suspended for three months on July 31 by Burkina Faso’s authorities for “collecting sensitive data without prior authorisation”.
The military authorities have not released a statement on the arrest of the French national.
In one month between June and July, the junta revoked the operating permits of 21 NGOs and suspended 10 other associations for three months.
Burkinabe authorities often repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the battle against jihadist violence that has plagued the country for a decade.
The junta regularly says it has thwarted “destabilisation attempts”.
Four French civil servants accused of espionage were detained for a year in the capital Ouagadougou before their release last December following mediation by Morocco.
COURTESY: guardian
