Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has rubbished the stories circulating on social media about progress in Burkina Faso under the leadership of its military leader, Ibrahim Traore.

According to him, Burkina Faso is in huge debt, contrary to claims that Traore has cleared the country's debt.

He said the stories about progress in the country are lies, which explains why no journalist writes about such.

Omokri also revealed that there is no freedom of speech in Burkina Faso, adding that many journalists have been arrested since Traore forcefully took over.

He wrote, "It is shocking that people watch these videos of the Burkinabe junta leader, Ibrahim Traore, speaking English fluently and inspiringly and cannot even fathom that these are AI-generated videos. Captain Traore is not fluent in English. Traore does not grant interviews because he and his propagandists do not want you to know that he is not the one speaking in those videos.

"How can you believe that he has paid off all of Burkina Faso's debt and is now building free houses for Burkinabe people? Those are lies. Burkina Faso's debt has actually increased, and the country's debt is estimated at 65% of its GDP, which is far higher than Nigeria and Ghana.

"Stop here and assume I am lying to you, then research what you just read.

"Burkina Faso owes foreign lenders approximately $6 billion and is at risk of defaulting on its debt.

"Please fact-check me.

"The reason you do not know that they are lies is because there is no freedom of speech in Burkina Faso. Burkinabe journalists are being arrested and jailed without trial in large numbers, including Guezouma Sanogo, Luc Pagbelguem, and Boukari Ouoba.

"Their crimes? They were trying to expose the propaganda about Burkina Faso fed to the world by Traore's military regime.

"How many Burkinabe journalists do you see saying it writing these things about Burkina Faso being a paradise? It is only Africans in other countries who believe and promote this propaganda.

"You cannot say the things you say on social media in Nigeria and Ghana in Burkina Faso. You will be hunted down and jailed.

"Please fact-check me. In the 2025 Global Terror Index, Burkina Faso ranked first as the most insecure country on Earth. It also ranked first in the 2024 index.

"One reason for this is that Traore has purged the Burkinabe army of many capable soldiers. This has led to a situation in which the country suffers a coup every few months, leading to more purges.

"Rebels control vast swathes of the country. And those videos you see of America trying to invade Burkina Faso are lies. They show you a photo of an American General and claim he said he wants to invade Burkina Faso, and you just suspend your rational mind and believe it?

"Where did the American General say so? Which media carried it? Where is the video other than the propaganda videos of a photograph and a voice-over claiming that America wants to invade Burkina Faso?

"And what shocks me is that even well-educated and exposed people believe these lies promoting this propaganda.

"It makes you wonder if those racists who say that to hide something from a Black man, simply put it in writing, are right.

"Please fact-check me and expose me as a liar, or liberate your mind by doing some cursory research instead of believing everything you see on social media.

"But watch how they will gather here to insult. Why? Because it is easier than thinking."

ASA