Pro-Russia-protests in the capital of the Central African Republic in 2022, credit: Corbeau News Centrafrique
Russian Disinformation is Creating a New Generation of Cynics Toward the West
As Nigeria rolls out its new malaria vaccine program, reports have surfaced of a Russian disinformation campaign targeting U.S.-funded anti-malaria initiatives in West Africa. Although Russian influence campaigns on the continent are not new, their intensity seems to be increasing. Over the past two years, Russian information operations seeking to manipulate African institutions have nearly quadrupled, fueling skepticism between Africa and the Western world.
The Russian propaganda machine in Africa has a four-pronged information approach, utilizing social media, web operations, official government statements, and Russian proxies to augment its influence on the continent. Social media functions as the main medium of operation, but the U.S. State Department has warned about the rising influence of the Russian-funded news source “African Initiative.” News outlets such as RT and Sputnik are banned in the U.S. and Europe but are increasingly active in many African countries. Additionally, a growing trend of African politicians and agitators is highly effective in communicating Kremlin messaging.
These disinformation campaigns prove most effective in countries with weak or non-functioning institutions. An extensive report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies found that conflict-prone countries experience a median of five foreign disinformation campaigns. Moreover, nations without term limits (i.e. weak checks and balances), face a median of three campaigns, while those with term limits face a median of 1.5 campaigns. Russia’s most targeted area of influenceis the Sahel region, where volatile military juntas lead Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Recent developments in neighboring Chad are a testament to the growing success of Russian disinformation campaigns in the region, wherein the decades-long relationship between France and Chad is deteriorating in favor of Russia.
The campaigns have targeted young Africans in urban areas by taking advantage of the rapidly expanding accessibility of social media, which in turn enables the drowning out of authentic African voices. About 400 million Africans are online, four times more than in 2016. This facilitates an enormous playing field for false narratives. Social media platforms allow for easily cloaked identities and expedite what has been described as infodemics where floods of false or misleading information confuse and deceive individuals in crises. For young Africans, applications such as WhatsApp are the dominant form of online communication. Since interaction on WhatsApp is encrypted, the platform cannot ban or moderate content, leading to the unchecked spread and amplification of disinformation.
These disinformation efforts culminate in a fundamental alteration of the political landscape. A study done across four vastly different African countries found that most participants believed Russian disinformation narratives. For instance, more than 70% believed that NATO’s expansion is the main factor behind the war in Ukraine, and many viewed Western sanctions as the primary cause of Africa’s food crisis. These perspectives align closely with Kremlin narratives, showcasing the success of their ability to shape public opinion. Moreover, Africans are losing faith in democracy. According to Afrobarometer data covering an average of 39 African countries, 66% of Africans prefer democracy, however, in 30 of them, support for democracy declined by 7% over the past decade. While not necessarily a direct link in this case, disinformation can exacerbate perceptions of dysfunctional democratic institutions. On a more aggregate level, the growing threat to peace and security, election disruption, and the undermining of gender equality is a troubling tendency in the disinformation environment.
This battle against Russian disinformation in Africa is not simply about fact-checking false narratives; it’s a fight for the continent’s future geopolitical alignment. The new generation, growing up in a media landscape rife with manipulation, is increasingly cynical about the motives of the West, even when those efforts are aimed at improving health or economic stability. As the Kremlin continues to exploit institutional weaknesses and amplify skepticism towards Western initiatives, the divide between Africa and the West is only deepening.
While organizations like Africa Infodemic Response Alliance are pushing back against disinformation, the sheer scale and sophistication of these campaigns, often enhanced by AI and deeply rooted in the region’s socio-political fractures, make it an uphill battle. This problem is not unique to Africa, as domestically, the United States faces significant disinformation challenges of its own and there is no prescribed means of instantly fixing the problem, but that does not mean nothing can be done. The U.S. should lead by example in supporting a robust free press founded upon legitimate journalistic principles and engaging in visible public diplomacy. Moreover, it should invest in local factchecking organizations and information resilience education programs, and utilize existing platforms like Voice of America to help elevate the real African voices via social media, radio and television. If not, the consequences of doing nothing and losing this battle will reverberate globally and reshape alliances for decades to come.
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