Rights groups hit as Burkina Faso junta orders mass dissolution of 118 NGOs

Burkina Faso junta ordered the dissolution of 118 non-governmental organisations and associations on April 15, 2026. The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility announced the decision. Authorities cited a July 2025 law regarding freedom of association as the legal basis. The government provided no specific justification for the mass closure beyond vague references to noncompliance.

The military seized power in September 2022. Under the leadership of Ibrahim Traore, the junta has targeted independent media and peaceful dissent. The authorities have suspended or expelled dozens of international organisations and media outlets. In November 2025, a decree forced all NGOs to move their funds to a state-controlled bank within the National Treasury. The government dissolved all political parties in January 2026. Authorities have detained more than 70 humanitarian workers since 2022. In August 2025, the government expelled the top United Nations representative, Carol Flore-Smereczniak.

Ousmane Diallo, a senior researcher for Amnesty International, said that dissolving NGOs and associations is at odds with the constitution of Burkina Faso, which guarantees freedom of association and union. He added that the move is "entirely inconsistent and incompatible with Burkina Faso's international human rights obligations, including under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which it is a state party." Diallo further noted, "Authorities must immediately rescind this decision and allow them to freely carry out their work without fear of reprisals."