DISINFO: The West supports dictatorships in Africa
SUMMARY
The events taking place in Gabon are a serious blow to France. The ongoing “coup” in this country shows that the African continent is tired of Western policies and its support for dictators.
RESPONSE
A recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative, accusing the West of neo-colonial policy, enslaving countries, and supporting dictatorships in Africa. The claim was made in connection to the ongoing military coup in Gabon.
The claim that the West supports dictatorships in Africa is ungrounded. For decades, the EU has actively assisted the economic and humanitarian development of African countries – read more about EU-Africa relations here and here.
In Africa, the Kremlin has long sought to publicly style itself as an anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist force. However, Russia has been the primary force seeking political and military destabilisation in a number of African countries. For instance, the Russian paramilitary organisation Wagner Group has been involved in military conflicts and civil unrest in Africa. According to Bloomberg, the Wagner Group works in at least 10 African countries, such as Sudan, the Central African Republic, Angola, and Zimbabwe. In Madagascar, the Group accompanied Russian political experts who were advising some of the presidential candidates on general elections in 2018. Wagner also provides military assistance in exchange for access to mineral resources. More on Wagner Group’s involvement can be seen here and here.
See more disinformation cases regarding African issues here.