Burkina Faso’s military authorities have ordered the dissolution of more than 100 civil society organisations, in a sweeping move that rights groups say marks a deepening assault on fundamental freedoms.
The decree, announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, mandates the closure of 118 associations and non-governmental organisations and prohibits their activities, citing compliance with existing legal provisions. Many of the affected groups are engaged in human rights advocacy.
The decision represents the latest step in a broader tightening of political space under the junta led by Ibrahim Traoré, which seized power in a 2022 coup and has since moved to curb opposition, trade unions and public assembly.
In recent months, the government has escalated its campaign against organised civil society. A law introduced last year imposed new restrictions on the operations of rights groups, followed by suspensions and revocations of permits for dozens of organisations on administrative grounds. Earlier this year, political parties were formally dissolved after a prolonged suspension.
Officials have framed the measures as necessary to enforce regulatory compliance, with territorial administration minister Emile Zerbo warning that any breach of the new rules would be met with legal sanctions.
Human rights organisations have sharply criticised the move. Amnesty International described the dissolutions as a “flagrant attack” on freedom of association and warned of an intensifying crackdown on civic space in the Sahel state.
Analysts see the latest decree as part of a broader strategy to consolidate authority and limit dissent, as the government continues to confront a protracted insurgency linked to groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Authorities have repeatedly accused some internationally funded organisations of acting as conduits for foreign interference, a claim civil society actors strongly deny.
The dissolutions underscore the increasingly fraught relationship between the state and civil society in Burkina Faso, where the boundaries of political participation continue to narrow under military rule.