Fake Social Media Accounts Spreading Disinformation Across West Africa, Targeting Sahel States
Since late 2025, a sophisticated network of fake social media accounts has been targeting the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a military and political pact formed by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in September 2023. These accounts, posing as legitimate media outlets, are spreading disinformation to undermine the governments of these nations, according to investigations by RFI’s Fact-Checking Unit and France 24’s Observers.
The fake accounts—using names like Scoop Africa, La Dépêche africaine, and La Voix du Faso—have been actively impersonating news organizations to discredit the AES countries and their junta leaders. One notable incident involved a deepfake video aired on Burkina Faso’s state television, RTB, claiming that junta leader Ibrahim Traoré had deployed “two infantry battalions to Tehran” to support Iran in its conflict with the United States and Israel. The video, which appeared authentic, was later debunked by AI detection tools.
Despite RTB disavowing the clip on its Facebook page, the video was shared thousands of times across social media platforms. A post on X (formerly Twitter) by La Dépêche africaine amassed over 500,000 views, showcasing the reach and impact of these coordinated disinformation campaigns.
Coordinated Campaigns and Russian Influence
The accounts Scoop Africa and La Dépêche africaine are at the center of this disinformation ecosystem. These profiles have repeatedly targeted the AES countries, spreading false narratives about Russia’s involvement in the Sahel region. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have strengthened ties with Russia since their military leaders seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023, distancing themselves from Western nations.
The methods used by these fake accounts mirror Russian interference tactics observed in Africa and Western countries in recent years. For instance, on October 29, 2025, an account posing as Russian political scientist Nikolai Piotr Melnikov falsely claimed that Russia had urged its nationals to leave Mali due to worsening security conditions around Bamako. The Russian embassy in Mali quickly denied the claim, but the Melnikov account continued to publish false information about Sahel-related events.
Millions of Views and Real-World Impact
Despite relatively modest follower counts—Scoop Africa has 2,000 followers on X and 20,000 on Facebook, while La Dépêche africaine has 10,000 on X and 1,800 on Facebook—their disinformation campaigns have reached millions of users. Harouna Drabo, a journalist specializing in information influence strategies in Francophone Africa, notes that some fake news is even picked up by legitimate journalists, spreading further into communities across the Sahel and neighboring countries.
Recent campaigns include a fabricated report in February 2026 claiming Burkina Faso had sold a power plant to Russia. The claim, based on a doctored RTB broadcast, was shared by La Dépêche africaine and inadvertently disseminated by observers. Another false narrative in mid-February involved a fake TASS dispatch claiming Burkina Faso had agreed to participate in clinical trials of a Russian vaccine tested only on rabbits.
The Source of Disinformation
The origin of these campaigns remains unclear. Investigations suggest most of the flagged accounts are based in Côte d’Ivoire. Some experts believe they are part of a retaliatory effort against pro-AES disinformation agents targeting countries like Côte d’Ivoire. However, no definitive attribution has been made.
The Risks of Informational Chaos
Philip Brant, a researcher specializing in jihadism in West Africa, warns that the spread of disinformation undermines credible journalism and complicates efforts to document events in the region. “All this content discredits information published by journalists that might be critical of the juntas,” he told RFI. Drabo echoes this concern, highlighting the risk of “total informational chaos,” where the public can no longer discern truth from falsehood.
The proliferation of fake accounts like Ouaga FM, La Voix du Faso, Info CivikTogo, and La Voix du Togo since May 2025 underscores the growing challenge of combating disinformation in West Africa.
As these campaigns continue to evolve, experts emphasize the urgent need for regional and international efforts to address the escalating threat of misinformation in the Sahel and beyond.
— Reported by Nexio News
