Image: Namibia Fact Check / Facebook
A viral Facebook post claims the country is aligning with Burkina Faso military ruler Ibrahim Traore and “joined Russia and North Korea”.
The post, that has been circulating online in early 2026, is the latest in an apparent long running social media information manipulation campaign to link Namibian president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah with Traore.
The viral post states (image below):
“GOOD NEWS TO AFRICA!
The African queen has risen! the female president of Namibia has just cleared the Namibian debt that was owed to IMF and world bank,,, she has then cut ties with the west and immediately joined Russia and North Korea, she has again fearlessly joined Ibrahim Traore for serious African unity discussions,, God bless Africa, step by step and Africa will unite.”
The claims
The post contains a number of misleading and false claims. These claims are:
“the female president of Namibia has just cleared the Namibian debt that was owed to IMF and world bank”
“she has then cut ties with the west”
“immediately joined Russia and North Korea”
“she has again fearlessly joined Ibrahim Traore for serious African unity discussions”
Claim 1: “the female president of Namibia has just cleared the Namibian debt that was owed to IMF and world bank”
This part of the post is partly true. Namibia has fully repaid its N$3.9 billion emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), bringing its participation in the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) programme to an end. It was reported that the final repayment was made on 15 April 2026, reducing the outstanding balance to zero and formally closing the facility approved in April 2021.
In response to questions regarding the claims, the Namibian Presidency spokesperson Jonas Mbambo stated via email:
“The Presidency has taken note of the social media post in question.
For clarity, Namibia recently completed repayment of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) loan that was extended to the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement of this facility brought Namibia’s outstanding balance under that specific IMF loan arrangement to zero.
However, the broader claims contained in the social media post are inaccurate and do not reflect any official announcement, decision, or policy position of the President or the Government of the Republic of Namibia.”
Claims 2 & 3: “she has then cut ties with the west” & “immediately joined Russia and North Korea”
This claim is false, as the Namibian government has made no such announcement. The post also does not clarify in what Namibia is supposedly “joining” Russia and North Korea.
Jonas Mbambo, of the Namibian Presidency, noted:
“The Presidency is not aware of any decision by President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to “cut ties” with Western countries, nor has there been any announcement regarding Namibia “joining Russia and North Korea” as alleged in the post.”
Claim 4: “she has again fearlessly joined Ibrahim Traore for serious African unity discussions”
Once again, this claim is false, as no announcement of such “discussions” has been made publicly.
Jonas Mbambo, of the Namibian Presidency, stated:
“Namibia’s foreign policy remains guided by the principles enshrined in the Constitution, including mutual respect among nations, peaceful coexistence, international cooperation, and the pursuit of the country’s national interests. Namibia continues to maintain diplomatic and cooperative relations with countries and partners across the world.
“The Presidency therefore wishes to clarify that the claims made in the social media post should not be construed as reflecting the official position of either the President or the Government of the Republic of Namibia.”
The verdict
The claims made in the viral post are mostly misleading and false.
While Namibia has repaid a Covid-era IMF loan, and long and strong relations with Russia, as well as participating in high-level African Union (AU) discussions, there is no evidence that the country has “cut ties with the west and immediately joined Russia and North Korea” in some unidentified initiative.