Traoré: What is real and what is not?
also ft: Kenya's ODPC v. Worldcoin
CybAfriqué is a space for news and analysis on cyber, data, and information security on the African continent.
If you Googled the word Traoré exactly three years ago, chances are your query will return with the profile of the Spanish footballer Adama Traoré. Today, you’d find Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso’s military leader and strong man, who became president following a coup in 2022. Since then, Traore has risen to become the contemporary representation of African strongman politics, pan-African revolution, and Sankara reincarnate (which btw could not be farther from the truth). Sometimes, I feel bad for footballer Traoré. The problem is that a huge tranche (not all) of what exists about Traore online is either outrightly false, exaggerated, or manipulated.
The sociopolitical ramifications of this topic are complicated and invite nuance. Even worse, I am not Burkinabe, so I cannot give you a resolute say on his effectiveness or popularity, although I have my guesses. Please check out independent Burkinabe outlets for a more informed perspective on this.
In this newsletter, instead, we try to make a small list of what is false in Traoré’s global digital strongman savior narrative, who might be pushing that narrative, and who stands to benefit from it, even beyond Traoré himself.
As usual, if you have questions or feedback on this or any of our work, please reach out to the team via cybafrique.media@gmail.com.
– Olatunji
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HIGHLIGHT
Traoré: What is real and what is not?
The online portrayal of Ibrahim Traoré is frequently characterized by heroic, almost mythical terms: "liberator," "transformative leader," "visionary," "exceptional," "courageous," and "savior." While leadership during a time of political upheaval often attracts strong descriptors, these terms are frequently underpinned by demonstrably false or manipulated information circulating on social media platforms and certain news outlets.
For example, a widely shared video purported to show a massive low-cost high-rise residential block constructed under Traoré's leadership, presented as evidence of his transformative impact on Burkina Faso's development. However, fact-checking revealed that the construction site featured in the video was, in fact, a national building project located in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria. This is a clear instance of using unrelated visuals to fabricate a narrative of progress.
Claims have also circulated alleging that Traoré rejected loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank since assuming leadership in order to strengthen Traore’s position as anti-West and champion of African self-reliance. However, records from both the IMF and the World Bank show that Burkina Faso has received funding from these institutions in both 2023 and 2024, directly contradicting the online claims.
Another manipulated video, appearing to be AI-generated in parts and using unrelated footage of Traoré speaking, falsely claimed that he had declared Burkina Faso a tax-free nation. In reality, Burkina Faso's transitional parliament passed the 2025 Finance Act in December 2024, which included new tax reforms aimed at broadening the tax base, the opposite of the circulated claim.
These examples represent just a fraction of the misleading content surrounding Traoré. The consistent theme is the creation of a persona that aligns with the "strongman savior" narrative, often by attributing achievements that did not occur or fabricating acts of defiance against Western powers.
Understanding who is pushing this narrative requires looking at various actors with different motivations. While independent verification is difficult due to suppression of dissent press freedom, it is not far from plausible that elements within the ruling military junta or those aligned with Traoré's regime are actively involved in promoting a positive image to consolidate power and legitimize their rule. Portraying Traoré as a strong, decisive leader bringing progress and standing up to external forces can help garner domestic support or at least suppress opposition by controlling the information space. Traoré himself benefits directly from this enhanced image, which can strengthen his position domestically and internationally among those receptive to his message.
On the external side, several actors appear to benefit from and actively contribute to the pro-Traoré narrative. This report suggests the involvement of Russian-linked entities, including what has been described as a "Russian propaganda video company," in amplifying pro-military and anti-Western sentiment in the Sahel region, including in Burkina Faso. By promoting leaders like Traoré who express anti-French and anti-Western stances and are open to closer ties with Russia (including security cooperation with Wagner-linked groups), Russia gains increased influence in a strategically important region.
Some individuals and groups, both within Africa and in the West, who hold strong pan-Africanist or anti-imperialist views, are also significant promulgators of the positive Traoré narrative. However false, Traoré represents a defiant figure challenging neo-colonial structure and asserting African sovereignty. Many of these people uncritically share information that aligns with this viewpoint. Many radical leftist actors with limited in-depth knowledge of the region have also contributed by latching onto a narrative that fits their existing political frameworks without rigorous fact-checking.
Sankara remains a revered figure for his revolutionary ideals and anti-imperialist stance. By drawing parallels, even if superficial or inaccurate, Traoré's image is elevated and associated with a legacy of genuine revolutionary change, potentially garnering support from those who admire Sankara. However, critics argue that the comparison is a deliberate manipulation, masking Traoré's authoritarian tendencies and lack of a clear, comparable revolutionary program.
Social media platforms, like in every situation regarding African socio-politics, have failed woefully at moderating the situation. They face language barriers and have no in-depth understanding of the complex situation.
South Africa is having it rough
South Africa’s state-owned airline announced a cyberattack on Friday. South African Airways (SAA) stated the attack also affected their mobile application but noted its IT team was able to contain the incident and “minimize disruption to core flight operations.”
The company has yet to release details on whether the attack involved ransomware, and the full extent of the losses has not been determined as the case is still under investigation.
South Africa is no stranger to cyberattacks, which have occurred in various forms recently. In the past four months alone, the weather service was compromised, Cell C and MTN were breached, and the country’s largest chicken producer lost more than $1 million due to a recent cyberattack.
A 2023 report, based on an Interpol assessment, showed that South Africa, along with many other African countries, has fallen behind in cybersecurity investment despite increased digitization.
Did the Kenyans get $50 for free?
A Kenyan High Court has ordered Worldcoin has been ordered to delete all data of Kenyan citizens from its database, which means all the folks who went to get $50 in exchange for their data just committed refund fraud, except it’s not illegal because the court asked them to be refunded their data.
The Worldcoin project, which was co-founded by Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, and Alex Blanca, went live in August last year and saw users flock to its orbs across different parts of the country to be issued the tokens worth about Ksh.7,000 ($45) in exchange for their ID and biometric data.
The Kenyan High Court's order is a landmark decision with significant policy implications, not just for Kenya but potentially for other nations grappling with the complexities of biometric data collection and digital identity projects.
The court is asserting the primacy of Kenyan law and citizens' data rights over the operations of international technology projects and perhaps part of a broader powerful message to global tech companies that African countries are a tad more than regulatory pushovers.
The decision also validates the role of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) as a functional regulatory body. The ODPC's early concerns about the transparency and risk mitigation measures employed by Worldcoin, especially regarding sensitive biometric data, were central to the legal challenge. The court's support for the ODPC's position empowers the office and sets a precedent for its active oversight of data processing activities, particularly those involving vulnerable populations or sensitive information.
FEATURES
A recent report by cybersecurity firm Surfshark indicates a notable decrease in account breaches in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2025, with 119,000 compromised accounts reported between January and March, a significant drop from the 786,317 breaches in the preceding quarter. Despite this positive short-term trend, the report highlights a long-term issue, with Nigeria having recorded over 7 million compromised accounts featuring unique email addresses since 2004, contributing to a total of 23.2 million account breaches, underscoring the ongoing challenge of cyberattacks in the country, which has been ranked among the top African nations for cyber incidents in the past year.
According to data from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) of Ghana, the first half of 2025 has seen a drastic increase in online blackmail cases compared to 2024 and previous years, with a slight rise noted specifically in sextortion incidents beyond the 155 cases recorded in early 2024. The CSA's report also points out that perpetrators are increasingly utilizing encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, making tracking and investigation more challenging in their efforts to evade detection.
This report by Silas Jonathan examines how TikTok influencers are reportedly using sophisticated AI-generated images to undermine democratic principles and promote authoritarianism, citing a survey of 250 young adults (aged 18-30) in Abuja and Kano conducted in early 2025. The survey, despite its limited sample size, revealed a concerning sentiment where over half of the respondents (50.8%) believe military governments are more decisive than democratic ones, and a significant portion (29.2%) are open to a non-democratic system if it effectively reduces corruption, suggesting a potential vulnerability in countries like Nigeria to widespread disinformation campaigns that exploit these views.
HEADLINES
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Heading to elections, Tanzania banks on AI technology to address misinformation
NDDC Alerts Public to Fraudulent Scholarship Scams Exploiting Nigerians