Burkina Faso’s crackdown on NGOs reflects broader erosion of civil society autonomy in post-coup governance
Original framing: “Burkina Faso: Dissolution of more than a hundred NGOs and associations shows intensifying crackdown on civil society” — Amnesty International
The piece situates the dissolution of NGOs within a broader historical pattern of military regimes in West Africa curtailing civil society after coups, drawing parallels to past authoritarian consolidations. It highlights how such actions echo earlier post‑coup periods where civic space was systematically narrowed. This deep temporal framing strengthens the historical dimension.
The crackdown on NGOs in Burkina Faso is a historically rooted, cross‑cultural echo of authoritarian patterns that erode democratic space, yet it is presented without Indigenous, artistic, or fully marginalised perspectives.
Scientific evidence underscores the scale of the repression, while a trickster lens reveals the paradox of security rhetoric masking authoritarian intent. Future modelling suggests a trajectory toward deeper civic marginalisation unless systemic safeguards—constitutional guarantees, regional pressure, digital resilience, and inclusive dialogue—are instituted. Integrating these dimensions points to a holistic strategy that balances accountability, capacity, and cultural inclusion to preserve civil society’s role in post‑coup governance.