DISINFO: Leaders of African countries opposed to the CFA have been arrested on corruption charges or riots were organised against them
SUMMARY
Experts claim that France’s currency, the French Colonial Franc (CFA), has been in circulation in Africa since 1945. Leaders of African countries opposed to the currency have been arrested on corruption charges or riots were organised against them. The tragic fate of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is connected with this.
RESPONSE
Disinformation message that the overthrow of former President of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi was engineered by the West. A recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that the US and some European countries have destabilised Libya which led to the killing of the country’s former President to advance geopolitical goals. See a previous case and also a Polygraph article "Did NATO Cause the Crisis in Libya"?
There is no evidence that Muammar Gaddafi’s overthrow was connected with his position opposing the CFA. Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by popular uprising which was a part of so-called “Arab spring”. It started mid February 2011 in Benghazi. The first riot was triggered by the arrest of human rights activist Fethi Tarbel who fought for the freedom of political prisoners. Protesters demanded the ousting of Gaddafi who had led the state for over 40 years.
Demonstrations caused a civil war between protesters and pro-governmental forces and in September Gaddafi was killed. There is no proof showing a connection between the CFA and the Libyan protests and no evidence about France’s involvement in triggering the protests. It is also worth pointing out that Mali left the CFA Zone in 1961 and its President Modibo Keïta was in his position until 1968.
Background: The message appears as part of an article about the history of French colonial policies, and was published the day after the French upper house on November 25 adopted a nonbinding resolution calling on France to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state.