Burkina Faso has arrested eight foreigners including a French national, a Malian and a Czech citizen, following accusations of treason.
The military government on Tuesday said the eight which includes 4 Burkinabe national has spied on the country by collecting and passing on sensitive security information that could be “detrimental to national security and the interests of Burkina Faso, to foreign powers”.
The eight were members of International NGO Safety Organization (INSO), a Netherlands-based group specializing in humanitarian safety.
The NGO was suspended in July for three months by Burkinabe authorities after they were accused of “collecting sensitive data without authorization”.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said despite being banned, the group “continued to clandestinely or covertly conduct activities such as information collection and meetings in person or online”.
Those arrested included the country director of the NGO in the West African state and his deputy.
