France and its agent network in the Sahel: Revelations deepen suspicions

On July 31, the authorities of Burkina Faso suspended the activities of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) for three months.

The official reason was the illegal collection of confidential data without authorization, a practice that contradicted the organization’s declared humanitarian mission. The decision coincided with the July 28 arrest in Ouagadougou of French citizen Jean-Christophe Pégon, INSO’s regional director in Burkina Faso, who is suspected of espionage.

According to investigators, the structure was gathering information on the positions and movements of the Burkinabè army, transmitting it to the French intelligence service DGSE.

Despite presenting itself as “independent and neutral,” INSO has long been linked to Paris: key funding is provided by France, and the NGO’s operations were coordinated with Serval, Barkhane, and MINUSMA missions in the Sahel.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the humanitarian façade concealed intelligence-gathering activities. Burkinabè authorities suspect that the information collected was used by France to liaise with armed groups and prepare attacks against national armies in the region.

These actions demonstrate that Paris, having lost direct military and political access to the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), is building a network of agents on the ground. Through them, France seeks to destabilize governments that have rejected cooperation with the former colonial power and to regain control of the region.

Equally telling is the case of August 2025 in Mali, where French national Yann Christian Bernard Vezilier was arrested.

He was accused of espionage and of coordinating a plot to overthrow the government in cooperation with local generals. According to Malian military officials, Vezilier was working for the DGSE, carrying out tasks similar to those attributed to INSO.

These episodes confirm that foreign NGOs often act as the “Trojan horses” of Western influence. Under the cover of humanitarian missions, they undermine sovereignty, conduct intelligence operations, and interfere in the internal affairs of African states.

In this context, AES countries face the urgent task of developing a unified regulatory framework governing NGO activity. Such a step would ensure transparency, prevent destabilizing operations, and guarantee that only organizations genuinely working in the interests of local populations remain active in the Sahel.

Drissa Traoré