Viral video of foreign houses being demolished in Burkina Faso, AI-generated 

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Mohamed Dauda kamara

Claim: A Facebook user, Zainab Natural Remedy, posted a video, alleging that Captain Ibrahim Traore demolished foreign houses and businesses in Burkina Faso. 

Verdict: False! There is no official report showing that Capt. Traore is demolishing foreign houses and businesses in Burkina Faso. Our investigation also revealed that the video has features of AI-generated content. 

Full Text

In 2024, Capt. Ibrahim Traore said that he was planning to “withdraw mining permits” from foreign companies and would seek to protect more of its gold, as reported by VOA. 

According to the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index, Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest countries. Its economy relies on agriculture and mining.

According to the UNCTAD Investment Policy Hub, the Burkinabe parliament enacted a new Mining Code in July 2024 that enhances “local participation and state oversight in mining.” 

The New Mining Code, however, aligns with investment rules and broader laws on foreign exchanges and taxation. 

Even so, VOA reports that foreign companies are still dominating the gold mining industry in Burkina Faso. 

However, a popular Facebook page, Zainab Natural Remedy, posted a video, alleging that Capt. Ibrahim Traore is demolishing “foreign buildings and businesses in Burkina Faso.”

In the one-minute video, ultra-modern skyscrapers could be seen collapsing into dust. 

The news reporter in the video alleged: “Look at these luxurious houses worth fortunes. Without any fear, Capt. Ibrahim Traore is tearing them down one by one.”

The news reporter further alleged that Capt. Traore was demolishing the “foreign houses” because he wanted to give local businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to finally enjoy their own country. 

Hours after the claim was posted, it gained 6.7k likes, 787 comments, and 680 shares. 

Most social media users who commented on the post did not doubt the claim’s authenticity but believed it to be true. 

DUBAWA decided to fact-check the story because it could mislead the public. 

Verification

Firstly, DUBAWA conducted a Google Keyword Search to verify the claim but found no reliable evidence supporting it. 

Secondly, we also searched on the Burkinabe Junta government’s official website, Agence Information Du BurkinaDu’Burkina, but still found no evidence supporting the claim. We found no official report or statement from Burkina Faso supporting the claim.

Thirdly, we found that as of 2025, Burkina Faso is still relying on foreign investment, making at least £47 million in total trade and services with the UK, according to the Department for Business and Trade’s “Trade and Investment Factsheets” on Burkina Faso.

Further research revealed that, according to facts published by the United Nations Trade and Development, Burkina Faso’s gold mining industry has attracted “Substantial foreign investment” from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Russia, invalidating the claim.

For instance, our review of the United States Government’s foreign investment report on Burkina Faso showed that the country has made some legislative reforms to improve foreign investment. 

But were the houses demolished by Capt. Ibrahim Traore? 

No! There’s no reliable evidence supporting the claim. Thorough observation by DUBAWA found that the video is an AI-generated content, designed as a clickbait to attract more likes, subscribers, and comments. 

Below is what we found on the video: 

• Visual Inconsistencies: The video showed different places, appearing to be foreign countries, as houses quickly collapsed into dust. 
• Although the claimant alleged that foreign houses were being demolished, the video showed no proof that the houses were being destroyeddemolished. TheIn fact, the houses were unnaturally collapsing into dust, displaying a pattern of Al contentsAl-contents. 
• Inconsistent information: At the beginning of the video, the claimant alleged that “Capt. Traore is demolishing foreign houses.” Then, at the midpoint of the video, he also said that Capt. Traore is “to demolish” foreign houses and businesses in Burkina Faso. 

Conclusion

Our investigation found no official report from Burkina Faso to supportsupporting the claim that Capt. Traore is demolishing houses. The video has features of AI-generated content.