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Rumor – Ibrahim Traoré allegedly silenced a professor from the University of Oxford with a 10-minute speech after a racist comment about Africa.
Analysis
Ibrahim Traoré, president of Burkina Faso since 2022, has gained popularity for his anti-colonial speeches on social media. This visibility has made him a recurring figure in viral narratives depicting symbolic clashes with Western leaders and institutions. Often, these stories lack any factual basis.
One recent example is a video circulating on YouTube and other social networks claiming that Traoré “silenced” a University of Oxford professor named Edmund Harrington after the latter allegedly stated that Africa did not contribute to human civilization. The scene describes a packed auditorium, standing ovations, and even curricular changes at the university following the event. Here is the message accompanying the video (which is not shown here):
IBRAHIM TRAORÉ in 10 minutes silenced an Oxford Professor forever. Traoré Crushes Professor at Oxford with Just a 10-Minute Speech! What happened when Professor Edmund Harrington of the University of Oxford declared that “Africa made no contribution to human civilization”?
Watch the president of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, respond with a devastating 10-minute speech that not only ended an academic career of nearly half a century, but also exposed centuries of intentional historical concealment.
In this impressive fictional account set at Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre, see how: A racist statement triggered the most viral academic rebuttal ever recorded Forgotten African contributions to science, health, and philosophical thought came to light Five hundred intellectuals stood to applaud truth over prejudice A professor’s ignorance led to a complete curriculum overhaul at the university
Fact-check
The content was shared widely and in several languages, but it is not accurate. It raises three key questions to be verified: 1) Did Ibrahim Traoré silence a racist Oxford professor? 2) Is there a professor named Edmund Harrington at the University of Oxford? 3) Are there other fake news stories involving Ibrahim Traoré?
Did Ibrahim Traoré silence a racist professor at Oxford?
No. There is no reliable source confirming such an event as described in the video. The speech does not appear on international news portals, in Oxford University records, or in Ibrahim Traoré’s public agendas. The narrative is fictional and fits a known pattern of AI-generated or manipulated videos that seek to elevate Traoré by portraying fictional confrontations with the West.
Is there a professor named Edmund Harrington at Oxford?
No. The name “Edmund Harrington” does not appear in any public directory of faculty, researchers, or affiliates of the University of Oxford. Academic search tools such as ORCID, Google Scholar, and Oxford’s own institutional directory show no link between this name and the university. The name seems to have been invented as part of the fake story.
Are there other fake news stories involving Ibrahim Traoré?
Yes. The president of Burkina Faso has been a frequent subject of false viral content portraying him as a radical defender of Africa and protagonist of fictional clashes with global figures.
Examples already debunked include a fake letter to Pope Leo XIV (check here), an alleged confrontation with Trump (read more), and even the arrest of a corrupt judge after threatening Traoré (see here). These follow the same narrative structure with exalted language, heroic plots, and AI-generated elements.
Conclusion
The claim that Ibrahim Traoré silenced a racist Oxford professor with a 10-minute speech is false. There is no record of the named professor, the alleged event, or any official response from the university. It is another piece of disinformation likely created using artificial intelligence, similar to other previously debunked stories involving the president of Burkina Faso.
Fake news 
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