After armed men killed nine Chinese nationals at a gold mine in Central African Republic in March, a video circulated on the internet saying France had secretly ordered the attack and planned to discredit Russian mercenary group Wagner in the country.
People hold a sign as they gather to show their support to Burkina Faso's new military leader Ibrahim Traore and demand the departure of the French ambassador at the Place de la Nation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso January 20, 2023.
The video was an example of a growing Russian influence campaign that amplifies criticisms of France and presents Moscow as an ally in Central and West Africa, two diplomats at France's foreign ministry said. The ministry denied any French role in the mine attack. Operating from the ornate 19th century halls of the foreign ministry in the Quai D'Orsay in Paris, a team of 20 diplomats, ex-journalists, data analysts and media watchers typed away at their computers with televisions in the background when Reuters visited the unit in April.
However, not all anti-French feeling in Africa can be blamed on Moscow. French military campaigns have caused civilian deaths, and many critical social media accounts reflect genuine concerns over France's outsized role in African affairs. The new media monitoring unit differs from a previous French effort, revealed by Facebook-owner Meta in 2020, that fought back online against Wagner-linked networks with fake accounts of its own.The media monitoring unit emerged last July, the same month that France withdrew thousands of troops from Mali, a former colony in West Africa.
The new team shares its information with embassies, other French ministries, intelligence agencies and France's media regulator. Days later, the French embassy in Kinshasa issued the response in a series of statements to local and foreign media. Anne-Sophie Ave, then ambassador for French public diplomacy in Africa, reacted on Twitter, calling it "fake news": "the gentleman in the video is not our ambassador to the DRC".
Reuters could not determine if that campaign was carried out. The Central African government and Prigozhin did not respond to questions about the allegations in the U.S. documents.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Southern Africa’s International Criminal Court Conundrum - The Africa Report.comSouthAfrica exposed the ICC’s implementation weakness with the latest Putin case.. The court has always been accused of treating Africa as its judiciary laboratory, having so far only managed to prosecute African ‘offenders’. Opinion by Isivunguzane
Read more »
Turkey/Africa: Erdogan’s allies – Macky Sall, Ali Bongo - The Africa Report.comAs Turkey continues its diplomatic advance into Africa, President RTErdogan, who was re-elected on May 28, is strengthening ties with his counterparts across the continent. Certain leaders enjoy a particularly privileged relationship with him.
Read more »
South Africa: Johann Rupert Overtakes Dangote As Africa's Richest Man73-year-old South African businessman Johann Rupert has displaced Nigeria's foremost billionaire, Aliko Dangote as the richest man on the continent.
Read more »
Ruto wants ‘fair conversation’ over climate finance for Africa - The Africa Report.comKenya is proving to be a strong African voice for the US-backed coalition against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has devoted resources to regional security. In return, WilliamsRuto wants the West to back his grand bargain: climate finance for Africa.
Read more »
South Africa’s Johann Rupert Is Africa's Richest ManSouth African businessman Johann Rupert, 73, has overtaken Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote as the richest man in Africa, according to Forbes Magazine's Real-time global Billionaires ranking, writes Leadership. Rupert's estimated nett worth is U.S.$12 billion, while Dangote's nett worth is U.S.$10.8 billion. Rupert's wealth primarily comes from his ownership in Cie Financiere Richemont, a leading luxury goods manufacturer and retailer, as well as strategic investments in Remgro and Reinet. Dangote's fortunes suffered a significant decline due to the depreciation of the Nigerian naira, which was caused by the Central Bank of Nigeria's decision to auction the U.S. dollar at a lower rate, compared to the official market price.
Read more »
West Africa: Rising Tides Threaten Low-Lying Coastal West AfricaAnalysis - Protecting and restoring coastal ecosystems can reduce the development and safety risks that vulnerable communities face.
Read more »