The government of Burkina Faso, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, has announced the suspension of a malaria research project funded by Bill Gates called Target Malaria.

In a statement, the Burkina Faso Ministry of Education and Research announced that this project has been ordered to immediately cease operations.

The Ministry, who urged that the mosquitoes produced and stored through the project be disposed of in accordance with the protocol, also issued a strict warning to stop any activities carried out by this project throughout the country.

Target Malaria began operating in Burkina Faso in 2012, with the aim of preventing the spread of malaria by breeding and releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the desert.

The Target Malaria project has been criticized by Burkina Faso, saying that the way it operates poses a security risk to local communities and is extremely harmful to public health.