A viral claim on social media suggests that Burkina Faso’s leader, Ibrahim Traoré rejected an offer from Saudi Arabia to build 200 mosques in Burkina Faso. It goes further to say that Traoré suggested investing in schools, hospitals, or job-creating businesses instead. But, after checking the facts, this story turns out to be completely untrue.
When examining the communications from Burkina Faso’s Foreign Ministry and official documents, there’s no mention of any mosque-building offer from Saudi Arabia. Also, there’s no record of Traoré rejecting such an offer. Burkina Faso’s official news agency hasn’t reported on any proposal involving 200 mosques. If this sort of diplomatic exchange had occurred, it would have appeared in government reports or diplomatic records from both countries. Yet, no reliable sources confirm this story.
A chat with journalists on the ground in Burkina Faso also confirms this to be false news. This false claim may have started because of confusion during the Saudi Ambassador’s visit to Burkina Faso on January 16–17, 2025. Official records state that the visit was mainly about improving relations between the two countries. According to some reports, Saudi Arabia did donate tonnes of dates to mosque workers in Burkina Faso, as they reportedly did in Nigeria, but there was no mention of a discussion about building 200 mosques.
This misunderstanding seems to have been twisted into a false story about aid rejection.
Furthermore, the rumour, as published by one of Nigeria’s prominent TV stations, TVC News, also failed to cite any statements from either Burkina Faso or Saudi Arabian government officials, ministries, or agencies. It seems to have originated from a non-verified Twitter post, which lacks credibility as a news source. In contrast, official government press releases from Burkina Faso in 2023 and 2024 and in January 2025 after visits from Saudi officials, do not mention any mosque-building project.
Therefore, the claim that Ibrahim Traoré turned down a Saudi offer to build 200 mosques in Burkina Faso has no factual basis. This story lacks support from official statements, diplomatic records, or trustworthy news outlets. Instead, it appears to be a fabricated narrative aimed at misleading people.
