Burkina Faso’s military government has escalated tensions with Western aid organizations by arresting eight members of a Dutch-based humanitarian group, accusing them of espionage and treason. The detainees include three Europeans, a Malian, and four Burkinabé nationals, among them the NGO’s country director and deputy. The arrests, which occurred earlier but were only recently disclosed, have sparked a heated dispute between the junta and international aid groups. Security Minister Mahamadou Sana alleged that the NGO had collected and transmitted sensitive security information to foreign powers, posing a threat to national security. The International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), which supports aid workers with safety data, has firmly denied the accusations. Anthony Neal, a representative of the NGO, revealed that the country director had been detained since July, when the organization was suspended for allegedly gathering unauthorized sensitive data. The remaining seven individuals were arrested subsequently. Neal emphasized that the NGO’s activities had ceased upon suspension and that the information collected was non-confidential and intended solely for humanitarian worker safety. He expressed efforts to engage with the government to resolve misunderstandings, highlighting the critical need for safety information amid a record number of aid worker fatalities globally. Burkina Faso’s military government, led by Capt Ibrahim Traore, has faced criticism for its strained relations with Western nations since seizing power in a coup three years ago. In response to a worsening Islamist insurgency, the junta has shifted its military alliance from France to Russia, while human rights groups accuse the regime of civilian abuses and suppressing political dissent.