• Burkina Faso orders NGOs to use state-run bank for all funds

• Move follows arrests, aims to tighten oversight of foreign NGOs

Burkina Faso issued a decree on Oct. 16 requiring all accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations to open and hold their operating accounts exclusively with the state-run Treasury Deposit Bank (BDT).

The decree, approved by the Council of Ministers chaired by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, stipulates that all income and spending by these groups must be processed solely through BDT accounts. The measure aims to ensure full traceability of financial flows, including grants, subsidies, donations, and other resources received for their activities.

According to a government statement, the goal is to improve transparency in NGO financing and allow authorities to better track funding sources, reduce risks of money laundering, embezzlement, or the financing of illegal activities, and align the country with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. The move is part of Burkina Faso’s efforts to combat terrorism financing and illicit financial flows and to tighten regulations on foreign funding.

Arrests Preceded Decree

The reform follows the recent arrest of eight members of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), a Dutch-based group active in Burkina Faso since 2019, which provides security training to humanitarian agencies.

Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced the arrests on Oct. 7, saying INSO had “engaged in the systematic collection of information related to the country’s security, political, and administrative activities in violation of Burkina Faso’s laws.” He added that the NGO had gathered details on the itineraries and composition of military and supply convoys.

Those detained include the NGO’s country director and four Burkinabè nationals. The case has intensified government efforts to tighten oversight of foreign NGOs, often seen as potential channels of external influence.

The BDT, launched in Ouagadougou on Aug. 2, 2024, by Traoré, is a public institution that manages state and local government finances. It handles the collection of public resources, conducts banking operations for state entities, and provides digital payment services. The bank is not subject to the country’s general banking law and is not intended to compete with commercial lenders.

Chamberline Moko