Burkina Faso: student union suspended, president arrested amid crackdown

This recent suspension unfolds against a backdrop of increasing authoritarianism by the regime, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power through a coup d’etat in September 2022. In recent weeks, nearly a thousand other associations have faced dissolution or suspension, justified under a new law concerning freedom of association.

Ugeb president apprehended

The student organization reports that approximately ten of its members, including its president, Wilfried Bazo, were taken into custody overnight from Monday to Tuesday. Armed men in civilian attire reportedly carried out the arrests at Ugeb’s headquarters in Ouagadougou. The union states that several students were transported to an undisclosed location, vehemently condemning these acts as «serious violations of freedoms» and demanding their «immediate release.»

Criticism against the regime

Days prior to its suspension, Ugeb had issued a public statement sharply criticizing «violations of democratic, trade union, and political freedoms» being perpetrated under the guise of counter-terrorism efforts. The student movement also accused the military authorities of a «manifest inability to restore security» in the face of persistent jihadist violence affecting large swathes of the nation.

Human Rights Watch condemns freedom infringements

On Wednesday, the public prosecutor of Faso confirmed the initiation of a judicial inquiry into the «writings and statements» attributed to Ugeb. Meanwhile, international watchdog Human Rights Watch asserts that this suspension forms part of a «series of governmental repressions against freedom of association and expression.» The NGO emphasized that «silencing students will not resolve the security and governance crisis» currently impacting Burkina Faso.