Influenceuses panafricaines targeted in Paris Moscow information war

France and Russia are locked in a fierce battle for influence across Africa, with Paris now fighting back against a sophisticated Russian campaign. Since Moscow’s 2018 intervention in the Central African Republic, Kremlin-aligned actors have systematically targeted African public opinion, aiming to undermine France’s historical ties and replace its presence with Russian leverage. Paris, slow to recognize this hybrid warfare strategy—already evident in other global conflicts since at least 2014—has begun deploying countermeasures to protect its interests on the continent.