Has Burkina Faso Changed Its Currency From CFA to SIRA?
An X user, @okwutebiafr claims that Burkina Faso has replaced the CFA with the SIRA as the country’s legal tender. @okwutebiafr made the post on March 4, 2025, with three images, two of them showing the proposed SIRA currency and country’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré with the caption: “#BreakingNews Burkina Faso has taken the bull by the horn. Here,comes a new currency known as SIRA,shall henceforth been into circulation to replace the FCFA that has been the legal tender of the Country. This act is a great move against Western imperialism.”
The post which has reached over 2,000 people has generated positive reaction from commentators. @BejituruEj82822 said, “Congratulations Burkina Faso, what a great move Africa is reclaiming their lost dynasty. Hurray” while @LordCyrus101 wrote “Signs that Biafra is here.”
VERIFICATION
A reverse search on the image of the proposed SIRA currency reveals that the handle was the first user to post the image on X while other handles posted it hours and days after. The SIRA currency images do not feature the bank authorizing the currency as seen in the area circled in black (image to the left), as against that of the CFA being used in Burkina Faso (image to the right), circled with red ink.
(Left: SIRA; Right: CFA)
Also, the image of the Burkinabe President, Captain Ibrahim Traore has nothing to do with the currency announcement as that image has been online since 2024 seen here and here. It was first uploaded online on May 6, 2024 from Traore’s address while donating machinery and agricultural inputs to Burkina Faso farmers in Ouagadougou.
Has Burkina Faso Adopted a New Currency?
Burkina Faso adopted the West African CFA franc, XOF, as its currency in 1945 when it was still a French colony known as Upper Volta (Haute-Volta). This was the same year France introduced the CFA franc for its African colonies as part of the broader Franc Zone monetary system. When Burkina Faso gained independence in 1960, it continued using the CFA franc, which is still its official currency today.
In January 2024, Burkina Faso, along with Mali and Niger, announced their intention to leave the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and subsequently indicated plans to exit the West African Economic and Monetary Union, UEMOA, which uses the CFA franc as its common currency. Burkina Faso’s military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, emphasised the desire to break away from anything that puts the country in slavery, including the currency.
Before then, the three countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, in September 2023. By November 2023, the finance ministers of the three states had issued a joint statement recommending the creation of a committee of experts to study the issue of economic union and monetary union. According to them, this historic initiative aims to re-establish their monetary sovereignty by creating a common currency called “Sahel” to replace the CFA franc and break the agreements with France.
This move was part of a broader effort to achieve economic independence and reduce reliance on former colonial powers.
The fact-checker found that the handles circulating the claim on X are affiliated to Biafra and IPOB. Similar claims were also found here, here, and here.
CONCLUSION
The claim that Burkina Faso has dumped the CFA for SIRA, a new currency is FALSE. The name for the proposed regional currency is Sahel, not SIRA. As of now, the CFA franc remains the official legal tender in Burkina Faso, and no specific timeline has been announced for the introduction of the new Sahel currency.
