Burkina Faso's military government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré has suspended the country's largest student union, deepening concerns over shrinking civic freedoms as authorities intensify efforts to silence dissent amid a worsening security crisis.
The Minister of Territorial Administration on May 26 ordered the suspension of the General Union of Burkinabe Students (UGEB) for an initial three months, a period that can be renewed. The government accused the organisation of "glorification of terrorism."
UGEB, founded in 1960, is one of Burkina Faso's oldest student organisations and represents students on academic and welfare issues. It has also taken part in debates on national affairs over the years.
While the suspension decree did not provide a detailed justification, Human Rights Watch said the move appears linked to a recent UGEB statement that criticised the security record of Burkina Faso's military government.
In the statement, the student union questioned the government's ability to restore security despite years of military rule and what it described as heavily publicised deliveries of military equipment.
