Burkina Faso’s ruling junta said it has arrested eight humanitarian workers on spying charges, accusing them of providing sensitive security information to foreign powers.

The eight were working for the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), a Netherlands-based group specialized in humanitarian safety.

The organization collected and recorded sensitive information about the West African country’s military, including operation zones, convoy routes and the number of personnel deployed, Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said in a statement Tuesday.

Among those arrested were two French nationals, including INSO’s country director for Burkina Faso, a Czech man, a Malian and four Burkinabe nationals, the minister added. He did not specify the dates of the arrests.

INSO said in a statement Tuesday it only collects information to monitor safety trends and protect aid workers on the ground.

“The information we collect is not confidential and is largely already known to the public,” the organization said.

INSO said it has fully cooperated with the Burkinabe authorities’ investigation and is working to secure the safe release of its detained staff.

Burkina Faso has been run by the military following a coup in 2022 that the soldiers said was to stabilize the country amid a worsening security crisis and provide better governance.

Instead, there has been a surge in the number of attacks by armed groups who control most of the country, especially outside of the capital.

Rights group also accuse the junta of clamping down on human rights with the rampant arrest and military conscription of critics.

—AP