Ouagadougou: A total of 317 beggars were removed from the streets across seven regions of Burkina Faso as part of a police operation aimed at addressing security concerns. The action follows a press release issued by the Minister of Security, warning that some individuals posing as beggars and street vendors were suspected of spying on sensitive sites.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the operation was launched on September 5, 2024, targeting key localities across the country. The police reported that 87 beggars were removed from the Centre region, 41 from Cascades, 30 from Centre-West, 37 from Plateau-Central, 88 from the North, 30 from Centre-North, and 4 from the Sahel region. The operation is expected to continue across the national territory in response to growing security concerns.

The Ministry of Security had previously alerted the public to the presence of “malicious individuals” who were pretending to be beggars or vendors as part of a surveillance effort targeting critical infrastructure.