The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Mobility announced the ban on Wednesday, stating that the organizations were dissolved "in accordance with current legal provisions."

The move effectively halts the activities of more than 100 groups, many of which focus on the protection of human rights within the West African nation.

Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo issued a warning to the leadership of the affected groups, urging them to comply with a restrictive law passed in July.

“Any offender faces the penalties provided for under current regulations,” Zerbo stated in an official announcement.

The mass dissolution is the latest in a series of steps taken by the military administration, led by Ibrahim Traore, since he seized power in a 2022 coup.

The government has increasingly targeted NGOs, trade unions, and political opposition, citing administrative reasons and national security concerns.

Rights advocates have reacted with alarm, describing the move as a systematic dismantling of civic space. Amnesty International called the decision a "flagrant attack" on the fundamental right to freedom of association.

“We are alarmed and deeply concerned by this flagrant attack on the right to freedom of association. Dissolving NGOs and associations is at odds with the constitution of Burkina Faso,” said Ousmane Diallo, Amnesty’s senior researcher for the Sahel region.

Diallo noted that the decision contradicts the country's international human rights obligations.

Diallo described the restriction as part of a "much broader effort to silence civil society through a combination of repressive tactics that include abusive legislation, intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention, and prosecution of human rights defenders and activists."

The researcher has called on the military authorities to "immediately" withdraw the order.

This latest decree follows a law signed by Traore last July that placed heavy restrictions on how rights groups and syndicates operate. Within weeks of that law's passage, the government revoked the authorizations of 21 groups and suspended 10 others.

The pressure on independent organizations extends to their financial operations.

Last November, the government ordered all national and international NGOs to close their private bank accounts. These funds were required to be transferred to a newly established state-controlled bank.

Political activity has faced similar restrictions. In January, the military government dissolved all political parties, following a three-year period of suspension.

Captain Traore recently signaled a definitive shift away from civilian governance. Earlier this month, he told citizens they must “forget about” democracy, emphasizing the military's current priorities.

Burkina Faso continues to struggle with a violent insurgency involving armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL. Amid this conflict, the military government has frequently accused NGOs receiving international funding of spying for or colluding with these armed groups.

The Ministry’s statement on Wednesday reinforces the government’s demand for all associations to conform to the July 2025 legal framework.