Authorities in Burkina Faso have ordered the closure until further notice of the main mosque of the Sunni Movement in Ouagadougou, citing concerns over possible public disorder.
In a decree signed on Thursday, Kadiogo regional governor Abdoulaye Bassinga announced the immediate shutdown of the large Sunni mosque located in the Commercial and Administrative Activities Zone (ZACA) in the center of the capital. Authorities said the measure was taken as a preventive security step amid growing tensions linked to recent demonstrations.
The decision follows the arrest of Mohamed Ishaq Kindo, whose detention sparked protests by supporters demanding his release.
Religious organizations, including the Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina Faso and the Sunni Movement, later appealed for calm and restraint.
The closure also comes shortly after the government used Eid al-Adha celebrations to reaffirm the secular character of the state and call for national unity.
The decree mandates the 3rd Gendarmerie Legion and the regional police authorities in Kadiogo to enforce the measure, which authorities say is intended to preserve public order and social cohesion.
