Burkinabè security forces arrested Imam Dr Mohamed Ishaq Kindo, one of the country’s most influential Sunni scholars and vice-president of the Sunni Movement of Burkina Faso, on May 26, 2026, two days after he publicly criticised a draft law on religious freedoms.
The Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina (FAIB) confirmed the arrest in a statement the same day, noting that the grounds for his detention had not been communicated and that it had approached the authorities for an explanation.
The arrest comes amid mounting tensions over a draft law on the exercise of religious freedoms, adopted by the Burkinabè cabinet on March 19, 2026. The bill would prohibit the establishment of places of worship in public institutions, including government offices, hospitals and military barracks, and includes measures to limit noise pollution from religious activities. Its adoption drew strong criticism from religious leaders, particularly among the country’s Sunni Muslim community, who view it as a restriction on freedom of worship.
The government has sought to clarify that the bill does not prohibit prayer in public institutions. According to the authorities, the legislation is intended only to prevent the establishment of permanent places of worship within public administrations, while guaranteeing every citizen the freedom to practise their religion in accordance with the secular character of the state.
On May 24, 2026, during a weekly Qur’anic exegesis session at his mosque in the Zangoétin neighbourhood of Ouagadougou, Imam Kindo delivered remarks in a local language, Mooré, criticising the bill. A video of the session was widely shared on social media. “Does prayer affect the president? Does it undermine his power? Does it ruin a country?” he asked, questioning why the state would seek to restrict religious practice. “Even if you do not pray, love religious people. If you want peace, leave religious people in peace, and God will leave you in peace,” he added. [Translated from Mooré]
According to the FAIB, the imam was arrested two days later. Individuals close to him report that masked police officers and soldiers detained him at around 2:00 PM local time on the eve of Eid al-Adha. Notably, Imam Kindo has long been regarded as a supporter of the military government led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, making his arrest all the more striking.
Hours after the arrest, hundreds of supporters took to the streets of Ouagadougou to demand Imam Kindo’s release. Security forces dispersed demonstrators using tear gas, including, according to multiple reports, inside the mosque itself. According to security sources, nearly 100 people were detained and transferred to a military camp for what authorities described as “civic and citizenship training.”
On May 28, 2026, the Governor of the Kadiogo region, Abdoulaye Bassinga, ordered the indefinite closure of the Sunni Movement’s main mosque in central Ouagadougou, citing a “risk of public disorder” linked to tensions following the arrest.
In a statement on May 31, 2026, the Sunni Movement of Burkina Faso called on its followers to remain calm and exercise restraint. It urged members, particularly young people, to avoid violence, provocation and the spread of unverified information, and to pursue dialogue and legal channels.
Imam Kindo’s detention is not an isolated case. Mahmoud Barro, Imam of Bobo-Dioulasso, has not been seen since March 31, 2026, after publicly criticising the same draft law and no official information has been provided about his whereabouts. Online activist Mahamadi Baguian died after being detained by police in Ouagadougou on the same day.
On May 26, the country’s largest student union, the General Union of Students of Burkina (UGEB), was suspended and its leader, Wilfried Bazou, and nine other students arrested after the union denounced arbitrary detentions. The incidents point to a widening pattern of repression against critical voices under the military government of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a coup in September 2022.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned by the arrest of Imam Mohamed Ishaq Kindo, the forcible detention of protesters in military facilities, and the closure of the mosque. The absence of any official communication on the grounds for his arrest raises serious concerns about respect for due process and procedural safeguards, particularly in a context where enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention remain recurring concerns in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel.
The MFWA reiterates that any restriction on fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly, must comply with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The MFWA calls on the Burkinabè authorities to publicly disclose the legal grounds for Imam Kindo’s detention, to guarantee him access to legal counsel and his family, to release all individuals detained solely for exercising their right to peaceful protest, to reopen the closed mosque, and to engage religious communities through dialogue rather than coercion.
