Fact-check: Did President Traore Order 30% Salary Cut for Himself, Political office Holders in Burkina Faso?

Fact-check: Did President Traore Order 30% Salary Cut for Himself, Political office Holders in Burkina Faso?

Claims: There’s a viral picture of Ibrahim Traore, the interim president of Burkina Faso, circulating on social media platforms, especially on YouTube, X, Facebook and TikTok, claiming that he announced a 30% salary reduction for himself, Ministers and political office holders while increasing workers’ salaries by 50%.

Full text: According to a report, President of Burkina Faso, Captain Traore recently announced in an interview that plans have been put in place to reduce the salary of political office holders, including himself.

The text accompanying the picture reads in parts: “Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, reduces ministers & politicians salaries by 30%…Increases workers salaries by 50%….and refuses to accept a president’s salary & maintains his military captain’s salary.”

How Ibrahim Traore’s Rose to Power in Burkina Faso:

Ibrahim Traore, a military officer born in 1988, ascended to power in Burkina Faso by leading a coup on September 30, 2022, ousting interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. 

Influenced by Marxism and pan-Africanism, Traore took decisive steps to address the country’s security challenges, particularly the Islamist insurgency that the previous government struggled to manage. His regime expelled French military forces and increased pro-government messaging in the media. 

Traore’s takeover was driven by a vision to restore stability, diversify international partnerships, and better manage Burkina Faso’s resources, especially in the lucrative gold industry, to bolster the economy and generate employment.

Verification: To verify the statement about the 30% salary reduction by Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore, PRNigeria fact-checking team conducted a keyword search, which led to several social media reports discussing the same topic. However, no mainstream media reported these claims.

These claims that went viral in early May 2024 referenced Traore’s statement, which paid tribute to the former military ruler, Thomas Sankara, for his patriotic acts. Traore quoted Sankara, saying, “We can also remember many patriotic acts, especially the EPI (Les Efforts Populaires d’Investissement), which made it possible to withhold 5-12% of civil servants’ salaries to build basic socio economic infrastructure, particularly in the health sector.

Further investigation revealed that Traore allegedly made a salary cut announcement during a live interview with journalists, speaking in French. His statement was interpreted into English, in which he stated that the change could result in a decrease for some, an increase for others, and no change for those who will remain unaffected.

However, a PRNigeria fact-check team’s visit to the official website of Burkina Faso revealed that no such statement has been released by the government. Furthermore, a search of credible media outlets yielded no reports on this issue, suggesting that the claim is unfounded and lacks credible sources to support it.

Conclusion: Findings by PRNigeria revealed that the claim that Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, has made salary changes for ministers, politicians, and workers, as well as opting for a reduced personal salary, remains unverified. While his official website provides information on his rise to power and background, there is no confirmation of these specific actions.

PRNigeria fact-check team therefore concludes that there is insufficient evidence to support the claim.

By PRNigeria