Newchecker.in is an independent fact-checking initiative of NC Media Networks Pvt. Ltd. We welcome our readers to send us claims to fact check. If you believe a story or statement deserves a fact check, or an error has been made with a published fact check
Contact Us: [email protected]
Fact Check
A viral video shows Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traoré delivering a powerful speech criticizing Western countries.
The video was found to be digitally created.
Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in Burkina Faso in October 2022 after leading a military coup that overthrew the then-leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, citing the government’s failure to address rising jihadist violence. Since then, Traoré has become a prominent figure in West Africa, known for his outspoken criticism of Western influence and growing ties with Russia. His rise has drawn both support and scrutiny, especially from younger audiences in western Africa and across the continent.
In this context, an 8-minute and 30-second video has been circulating online, purportedly showing Traoré delivering a powerful speech criticizing Western countries.
The clip also shows Traoré talking about China’s rise and the 99-year port lease agreement between Sri Lanka and China. A TikTok user shared the video with a Sinhala caption that reads, “Is colonization over? The African leader who removed the clothes of (humiliated) Western countries.” The entire video includes Sinhala subtitles for the speech.
The video has also been widely shared on YouTube and Facebook, with captions such as “Che is born again,” “story about Lanka,” and “African leadership 💪.” These posts can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The video is being widely shared among Sri Lankan social media users, prompting us to verify its authenticity.
We began by verifying whether any mainstream media outlets had reported on such a scathing critique of the west by the leader of Burkina Faso, but found nothing relevant.
Upon closer inspection, we noticed several elements in the video that appeared unusual. Ibrahim Traoré’s face had unusually smooth features, and his body movements seemed stiff and unnatural in many frames. These signs suggested that the video may have been digitally altered.
However, while our analysis did not find clear signs of video manipulation, our review of the audio clarified a different issue. Using AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation and Resemble AI, we found indicators that the audio was likely generated by artificial intelligence.
We then conducted a reverse image search using key frames from the widely shared video using keywords related to the purported speech by Ibrahim Traoré. We found a 25-minute video posted on a YouTube channel called “Univers Inspirant” on May 25, 2025.
The caption of the YouTube video carried a disclaimer stating, “This video is entirely fictional content created for entertainment purposes only.” It also explains that the visuals and audio were significantly edited or digitally generated.
The viral video claiming to show Burkina Faso’s leader Ibrahim Traoré delivering a strong speech against Western countries is not authentic. It is digitally altered and entirely fictional, as confirmed by the original creator.
Our Sources
YouTube video posted by “Univers Inspirant” on May 25, 2025.
False
