On May 25, 2026, unidentified armed individuals abducted ten student members of the General Union of Students of Burkina (UGEB).

Earlier that day, UGEB published a statement criticizing government security failures. The Ouagadougou High Court opened a judicial investigation targeting the authors and “any accomplices” behind the statement (see report).

That night, unidentified individuals in plainclothes broke into the UGEB headquarters and abducted the students there, including UGEB President Wilfried Bazo. At the time of this writing, no publicly available information indicated the status of Bazo or the other students.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the abduction of a higher education student in apparent retaliation for their exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association. State authorities should take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of scholars, students, and staff, including by investigating and holding perpetrators of such acts responsible, in line with international human rights standards. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, kidnappings that target student expression undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://mfwa.org/country-highlights/burkina-faso-junta-suspends-largest-student-union-over-criticism-of-security-failures/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14nMgG9EQhS/
https://www.jeuneafrique.com/1799195/politique/au-burkina-faso-la-junte-suspend-la-principale-organisation-estudiantine-et-arrete-son-leader/
https://www.africanews.com/2026/05/28/burkina-faso-junta-suspends-biggest-student-union-and-arrests-leader/
https://mfwa.org/country-highlights/burkina-faso-junta-suspends-largest-student-union-over-criticism-of-security-failures/