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Claim: “Breaking News – Burkina Faso has officially banned all porn websites in the country. We are coming to do the same thing in Liberia,” a Liberian Facebook blogger, Yekeh Kolubah, says.
Verdict: Misleading. Investigation shows that no official statement or law exists banning pornographic websites in Burkina Faso. In 2023, the country’s media regulatory body banned the broadcasting of pornographic and homosexual content on media platforms. Meanwhile, there is no such policy or initiative in Liberia, and the government has made no official statement on this matter.
Full Text
As Burkina Faso embarked on a renewed focus on national development under its military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, some across the African continent praised his leadership style and policies, even as he came to power through a military coup.
One such supporter is a Liberian Facebook blogger, Yekeh Kolubah (not to be confused with the Montserrado County Representative), who praised a recent purported action by the Burkinabé government.
“Breaking News – Burkina Faso has officially banned all porn websites in the country,” the blogger claimed, adding, “We are coming to do lay same thing in Liberia.”
The post, created on March 22, 2025, quickly attracted attention, generating over 300 emoji reactions, 32 comments, and one share. However, is this claim true?
DUBAWA felt obliged to investigate this claim as part of our mandate to promote truth in public discourse.
Verification
The researchers started with the search for official government communications and credible confirmation from news outlets in Burkina Faso, but yielded no evidence of any blanket ban on pornographic websites.
To further verify, DUBAWA contacted Martin Kaba, a freelance journalist reporting from Burkina Faso for West Africa Democracy Radio, based in Dakar, Senegal. Kaba confirmed via WhatsApp that there has been no official government statement banning pornographic websites.
“However, the Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC), Burkina Faso’s media regulatory authority, issued a directive in August 2023 banning the broadcast of pornographic and homosexual content on media platforms. He also shared an official document in 2023 to support this.
This was a press release from the Superior Council of Communication (CSC) in Burkina Faso, dated August 24, 2023. This covers the following main points: 1. Bans on TV channels promote homosexuality, and The CSC has banned TV channels that promote homosexuality.
2. Protection of minors: The ban targets content for minors and stops any homosexual content on channels for children and teens. 3. Reason for the decision: The CSC acted because more shows for minors show homosexual scenes or promote homosexuality.
4. Call for cooperation: The CSC asks publishers, broadcasters, and parents to help enforce the decision. 5. Purpose of the decision: The main goal is to protect young viewers from content considered inappropriate for their age and against the country’s values.
This ban applies only to content broadcast on radio, television, and other media, not Internet access or personal browsing, as Facebook posts suggest.
In Liberia, no such policies exist. Attempts to contact Information Minister Jerelimick Piah for a comment went unanswered despite messages sent via WhatsApp. There is no public indication that the government plans to restrict access to pornographic websites.
Additionally, the blogger behind the claim did not provide any supporting evidence or an official source for his post.
Conclusion
The claim that Burkina Faso officially banned all pornography websites was misleading. There is no law or decree regarding this effect. The only related policy is the CSC’s 2023 directive, which bans the broadcast of certain content on media platforms. There is no indication of a similar policy or impending governmental action in Liberia. Therefore, bloggers’ claims lacked factual backing and context.
