The Burkinabè government has banned two religious leaders from preaching and suspended a faith-based association for a renewable three-month period.
Authorities cited the preservation of social cohesion and the fight against extremism, just days after the adoption of a new law on religious freedoms.
In an initial decree, the ministry banned Omar Sankara, a 41-year-old Ouagadougou native, from all preaching, sermonising, and religious teaching “until further notice.”
The authorities accused him of delivering “radical remarks capable of compromising social cohesion and peaceful co-existence.”
A similar measure was taken against 53-year-old Idrissa Sawadogo, originally from Bokin Song-Naba, who is also accused of delivering speeches likely to undermine social peace.
Both bans apply nationwide, and their enforcement has been entrusted to the Directorate General for Religious, Customary, and Traditional Affairs (DGARCT).
In addition, a third decree suspends the association “Tabernacle des fils du Royaume du Saint-Esprit” (Tabernacle of the Sons of the Kingdom of the Holy Spirit) for a renewable period of three months.
Officially recognised since May 2020, the organisation is notably accused of failing to renew its governing bodies.
The authorities also cited alleged acts of moral depravity and money laundering, without providing further details at this stage.
According to official documents reviewed by APA, these decisions will be notified to the prime minister, the security ministry, regional governors, and the Islamic Associative Front of Burkina (FAIB).
These sanctions come amid a tightening of the legal framework governing religious practices. On June 20, the Transitional Legislative Assembly adopted a new law on religious freedoms.
The government maintains that the legislation aims to prevent misconduct related to worship, combat extremist discourse, and consolidate national cohesion within a still-fragile security context.
In early June, the authorities suspended two Islamic civil society organisations for three months, citing non-compliance with current regulatory frameworks.
Through this series of measures, the government intends to strengthen oversight of the religious sector while preserving the principle of secularism enshrined in Burkina Faso’s constitution.
HO/te/Sf/lb/as/APA