Project Afrika: Leaked documents expose Russian propaganda push in French-speaking Africa
French international broadcaster France 24 has released an investigative report detailing what it describes as a coordinated Russian propaganda campaign targeting French-language media outlets across West and Central Africa. The investigation, titled “Project Afrika,” draws on leaked confidential documents that allegedly reveal the scale and structure of the operation.
Inside the leaked documents
Aired as part of France 24’s flagship programme Reporters, the investigation was produced by the network’s fact-checking and investigative unit, The Observers. According to the broadcaster, the leaked materials point to an organised effort by Russian agents to seed content sympathetic to Moscow’s interests in publications serving audiences in former French colonies across the Sahel and Central Africa.
On the ground in Dakar
To trace the claims contained in the documents, the France 24 team travelled to Dakar, Senegal, where they investigated the operation’s footprint and its connections to local media ecosystems. The reporting was led by Nathan Gallo and Derek Thomson, with footage by Aminatou Diallo.
A wider Russian push into Africa
The investigation comes against the backdrop of an intensifying Russian push for influence across the African continent. In recent years, Moscow has deepened ties with governments in the Sahel and beyond, while Russian-backed outlets and online campaigns have sought to amplify narratives critical of former colonial powers and Western institutions. Researchers have repeatedly warned about the spread of such operations, though France 24’s report points to what it describes as a more structured, document-backed effort than previously documented.
The full investigation by France 24’s The Observers is available through the broadcaster’s website and Reporters programme.
Source: FRANCE 24 — read the original report.
