Imam Mahmoud Barro, a prominent religious leader in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second-largest city, has not been seen since March 31, 2026. Sources close to his family say the imam was allegedly abducted shortly after a video in which he sharply criticised a government draft law on religious freedoms circulated widely on social media. To date, the authorities have provided no information on his fate or whereabouts.
The disappearance follows 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.
The government has said the legislation is intended to address religious intolerance, radicalisation and what it described as the interference of religion in state affairs. Its adoption drew strong opposition from religious communities, particularly among Sunni Muslims, in a country where around 60 per cent of the population is Muslim.
In the video, which circulated widely on social media around late March, Imam Barro delivered a pointed critique of the draft law. Questioning the stance of transitional president Captain Ibrahim Traoré, he declared: “The current President of Burkina Faso, we no longer recognise him; either the president has changed, or he is surrounded by bad advisers.” He argued that the bill specifically targeted Muslims, stating that “the law that has been enacted is nothing less than an attack on Islam.”
Previously a vocal supporter of the military government, the imam contended that certain provisions of the text infringed upon the religious practices of the Muslim community. Imam Barro had been convicted in March 2024 for contempt of a magistrate but was released following public pressure.
Since March 31, neither his family nor worshippers at his mosque in Bobo-Dioulasso have heard from him. His relatives say the imam has not been seen in public since that date, causing deep concern within his community and among religious leaders across the country.
The Burkinabè authorities have issued no official statement on the imam’s fate. No communication has been released to confirm or deny his arrest or detention, and no legal proceedings concerning him have been made public. The absence of any official account raises serious questions about respect for due process and the rule of law.
The imam’s case fits a broader pattern of repression. On the same day he went missing, online activist Mahamadi Baguian died in Ouagadougou following his arrest by security forces, in circumstances that remain disputed. In April 2026, the authorities dissolved 118 civil society organisations, many involved in human rights work.
Journalists, activists and human rights defenders have faced abductions, enforced disappearances, unlawful conscription and arbitrary detention. The escalating crackdown raises profound concerns about the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Burkina Faso.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is deeply concerned by the disappearance of Imam Mahmoud Barro and calls on the Burkinabè authorities to provide full and transparent information on his fate and whereabouts. Any deprivation of liberty must comply with procedures prescribed by law and with Burkina Faso’s obligations under the Burkinabè Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The MFWA urges the authorities to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religion, and to ensure that the exercise of these fundamental rights does not expose individuals to reprisals.
