Center for Countering Disinformation held a discussion on “russian information influence in Africa. Cultural centers, free grain and biased media”.
The participants of the discussion, which took place at the Ukrinform news agency, discussed the topics of cultural, military, food and educational occupation as a means of russia’s penetration into Africa; media bias, weakness of the state sector of notification; diplomatic and political aspect of russian influence in Africa and the means used by Ukraine to counteract this influence. They also discussed the main speakers of russian propaganda in Africa.
The discussion was attended by Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh, Head of the department for countering information threats to national security of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Anaiyt Khoperiya, and President of the African Council in Ukraine Diallo Issa Sadio.
In particular, A. Khoperiya said that the Center for Countering Disinformation has prepared an analytical report that identifies the main russian information influence campaigns in Africa, the narratives being promoted, and the key individuals in the continent’s countries subordinated to the kremlin’s propaganda machine.
Among the main russian information influence campaigns in Africa: “russia contributes to global food security and is a reliable trading partner of Africa”, “The West is a colonizer and imperialist”, “The West provoked the war in russia and continues to fuel it”, etc.
The report analyzes in detail the tools used by russia to promote its narratives and provides solid conclusions about the aggressor country’s information campaigns on the African continent.
