The US Department of State’s Global Engagement Center has exposed Russia’s intelligence services, which have been providing material support and guidance to the “African Initiative,” a new information agency focused on Africa-Russia relations spreading disinformation.
According to the Global Engagement Center, Russia has been spreading disinformation regarding the United States and European countries. The report has found out that Russia’s disinformation campaign in Africa recruits African journalists, bloggers, and members of local publics in order to spread material promoting Russia’s image and dangerous health-related disinformation targeting US and Western health initiatives.
The first major campaign of the African Initiative was “to undermine US-funded public health projects across Africa beginning with disinformation regarding an outbreak of a mosquito-borne viral disease.”
Following this campaign, the report indicated a surge in circulating conspiracies about Western pharmaceutical corporations and health-focused philanthropic efforts. Moreover, it highlighted the African Initiative’s success in disseminating disinformation and Russian propaganda through various social media channels, such as its two primary accounts “African Initiative” and “African Kalashnikov,” alongside a highly active website, afrinz.r, and “Smile and Wave” Telegram channel.
“Foreign information manipulation remains a critical threat around the world, as authoritarian actors like the Russian government use it to exacerbate social divisions, skew national discourse, and fundamentally disrupt people’s ability to make informed decisions for themselves and their communities,” said the US Department of State’s Global Engagement Center report.
“By supporting this disinformation network, the Russian government is actively harming the countries it targets and the African continent as a whole.”
Russia has made similar efforts in Latin America, where they attempted to undermine global support for Ukraine through a disinformation campaign. They did this by organically integrating pro-Kremlin content produced by Moscow through local individuals and groups.
“Foreign information manipulation is a dangerous and destabilizing tactic, but it is especially damaging when targeting health information. This Kremlin disinformation campaign must come to an immediate end before it poses an even greater risk to health security in Africa,” warns the US Department of State’s Global Engagement Center report.
