Burkina Faso’s ruling authorities have initiated a significant crackdown on civil society, suspending 811 organizations and dissolving an additional 118 since mid-April. The official justification for these widespread suspensions, effective from May 12, 2026, cites “non-renewal of their governing bodies” and “prevailing legal provisions,” without further elaboration. These actions have led to many Burkina Faso associations suspended.
The affected organizations, whose suspensions took effect on May 12, 2026, operate across various critical sectors, including healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, gender initiatives, and religious activities. A ministerial decree specifies that during this suspension period, only actions aimed at regularizing each association’s status are permissible.
Widespread repression concerns
This extensive clampdown follows the enactment of a new law in July 2025 by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, designed to regulate the freedom of association, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and trade unions. While the legislation ostensibly upholds the right to associate, it simultaneously imposes stringent requirements for declaration, administrative oversight, and legal compliance, with penalties that can extend to outright dissolution.
According to the authorities, the primary objectives of this legal framework are to enhance transparency, create a comprehensive registry of associations and NGOs, and combat money laundering and the financing of “terrorism.”
International NGOs and associations receiving foreign funding frequently face accusations from the current regime, including espionage or alleged collaboration with jihadist groups. Human Rights Watch, a prominent human rights advocacy organization, expressed concern in late April, stating that the new law effectively enables the junta to “intensify its widespread repression of civil society.”
