Arrests and mosque closures
Islamic president declares war on “radical Islam.”
Updated on July 27, 2026 – 12:06 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
In Burkina Faso, the ruler Ibrahim Traoré wants to take action against radical Islam. To this end, imams should be arrested and mosques closed.
Burkina Faso’s interim president Ibrahim Traoré has announced his fight against the radical interpretation of Islam. In an address to religious leaders last week, the military ruler declared that war had begun against what he described as “radical Islam.” Anyone who spreads extremist ideas must change – otherwise the state will intervene. The broadcaster Al Jazeera and the AFP news agency report this in agreement.
Imams who spread extremist content in their sermons could be suspended from the pulpit, announced Traoré, who is himself a Muslim. At the same time, he promised state support for those scholars who advocated a peaceful interpretation of Islam. He accused unspecified foreign powers of exploiting religion to destabilize Burkina Faso.
New religious law causes tensions
At the center of the conflict is a religious law that the transitional parliament passed on June 20th. According to Al Jazeera, it provides for fines and prison sentences for practices that authorities classify as abuse – such as forced begging of children or a lack of financial transparency by religious organizations. The government says the law is intended to strengthen the country’s secular character. Critics say it expands state control over religious institutions.
Tensions escalated with the arrest of prominent Sunni imam Mohamed Ishaq Kindo. He was arrested in the capital Ouagadougou at the end of May after criticizing the draft law. This was followed by protests from his supporters demanding his release. The authorities then closed the city’s largest Sunni mosque, citing public order.
According to AFP, citing a security source, around 100 of Kindo’s supporters were taken to a military camp for what the authorities said was “civic training.” Already in April, another cleric, Imam Mahmoud Barro, was reportedly arrested in the town of Bobo-Dioulasso.
The dispute marks a break with some of the Sunni scholars who initially supported Traoré after he came to power. Observers warn that the confrontation could weaken a key source of legitimacy for the military government.
