On April 15, 2026, Burkina Faso’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility announced the dissolution of 118 non-governmental organizations and associations, citing “current legal provisions” without providing further justification. The decision, which also includes a ban on the activities of these dissolved entities, was made public through an official government statement. Ousmane Diallo, Senior Researcher on Sahel at Amnesty International’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, condemned the move as a “flagrant attack on the right to freedom of association.” He stated that the dissolution contradicts Burkina Faso’s constitution, which guarantees freedom of association and union, and noted that previous constitutional amendments have never challenged this principle. Diallo further emphasized that the action violates Burkina Faso’s international human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the country is a state party. In his statement, Diallo described the dissolution as part of a broader pattern of repression targeting civil society, including abusive legislation, intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention, and prosecution of human rights defenders, and activists. He urged authorities to immediately rescind the decision and allow organizations to operate freely without fear of reprisals, calling for an end to restrictions on civic space and a recommitment to international human rights obligations. The announcement follows a series of measures that have progressively restricted civic and political activity in Burkina Faso. On January 29, 2026, the government dissolved all political parties after a three-year suspension. In November 2025, a presidential decree required national and international NGOs to transfer their bank accounts to a state-controlled entity within the National Treasury, raising concerns about potential financial surveillance and arbitrary freezing of funds. Burkina Faso has been under military rule since two coups in January and September 2022, and in May 2024, the military transition—originally scheduled to end on July 2, 2024—was extended by five years. As of the announcement, no official response has been issued by Burkina Faso’s government addressing the specific concerns raised by Amnesty International or detailing the legal basis for the dissolution of the 118 organizations. The situation remains under close monitoring by international human rights organizations.
Burkina Faso: Dissolution of 118 NGOs Intensifies Civil Society Crackdown
