Why “Panaphic” influential participants pushed rumors

In May, Mafald Markiyera woke up to reports from friends who live abroad, asking whether she was safe in Abidjan, the largest city in the Coast -Diavoire.

Social media were full of messages claiming the coup is underway. Drama staff of soldiers on the street flooded platforms, while AI-Generated and presenters collected millions of views on YouTube.

“I was very worried, really worried, I thought something happened,” said the BBC management consultant.

But the claims that were shared around May 19 were false.

This is the most recent example of false rumors that spread to upheavals in West Africa, increasing tensions in the region in which several military absorptions have been observed in recent years.

Coast-Dioire, one of the few French countries that are still closely agreed with the West, is due in the presidential election at the end of this year.

Experts believe that this can be an increasing goal for this type of misinformation with stories that attack the election process.

This is because Ivarian President Alason Wattar, who is ready to look for the fourth term, is regarded as pro -Western – and his critics accuse him of combining the continent.

The Coast Minister of Communications -Diavoir Amadu Kulibali told the BBC that they had traced the origin of counterfeit information in the “neighboring countries” but did not specify further.

Apparently, the rumors grew out of Burkina Faso and moved an increasing wave of self-proclaimed Pan-African influences.

They reject ties with the West, often express support for Russia and create conversations throughout the continent – reaching countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

The influences also promote figures such as Burkin -Faso military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in the coup in 2022.

TROOR reflects itself as a Panapicanist and has a lot of true support from young people across the continent who see it in the West.

Alex Vinz, Director of the African program at the Chatham House Analytical Center, says the impact is trying to sow doubts in the existing political leadership, spreading or increasing rumors about the coup to destroy the public in modern institutions.

They “find an avid market of readers who want to see more persistent African leaders who are developing and bring peace and prosperity,” he said BBC.

While analysts believe that rumors about the ivory coast have similar features with the Russian sponsor, there is no evidence of Russia’s participation.

In the past, the country has been linked to the influence on operations in French West Africa. As depending on Strategic Studies Center for US AFRIKA AFRICS Networks of misinformation related to the Russian Wagner group tried to ignite rumors about the coup in Niger in 2023.

There is also no evidence that Burkinab authorities were involved in the rumors of the Coast -Diavoire coup, but the people founded there were enhanced by claims.

The relationship between Burkin -fos and the cat -dioire seriously went bad more than a year ago, when the traior accused his neighbor of carrying militants on the territory and hid “destabilizers” and dissidents who openly insulted his junta.

Then in April his Security Minister accused areas based on the Coast -Dioire To plan the overthrow of Traoré – an accusation that was widely intensified on the Internet.

Bullet Global Desinformation BBC analyzed the references to the fake reports of the Ivurian’s coup about Tiktok, Facebook, X and YouTube and the earliest popular post we found, was on May 19, the Savadog Haruno, a pro-government activist in Burkina Faso, who makes content for his 200,000 CAPT TROORé.

He posted a video -selfy in French and Moure, local language, saying that the Soldiers of the Ivory Bone should rise to hold a coup and encourage people to share their position.

An hour later, he posted a video depicting President Ivaro Alassan Ouattars, imposed on a fast -gun frame with a signature that announced the coup – although the video was actually with the recent tension in India – Pakistan over Kashmir.

The next day, social media users outside the Francophone West Africa attacked misinformation and pushed it to the English -speaking audience in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, calling on other social media users to follow this example.

If a few weeks later, a few weeks later the BBC messages, through the Facebook page, posting his live videos to ask where he pulled his information, he did not submit details, but replied that he “prayed to God Alasana (Ouattara), shot down.”

Another one who took on the rumors, placing in English was the Turkish South African Mechmet Vef Dag, who runs the movement of truth and solidarity-no-haired political organization in South Africa.

He repeatedly placed on different platforms, noting what he called the “internal coup”.

In fact, Mr. Dag, who had been criticized in the past for abusive and false comments against Jews and LGBTK+ people, has already called for a coup to the Coast -on May 11.

When I realized I turned to the BBC, when it was clear that there was no coup, he insisted on what it had happened.

“We are very proud of those who made this coup to remove the Watter. He sold the soul of the imperialist and wanted to destroy Burkin -fos, Mali and Niger,” he said.

“Like the Panaphricans, we will never give them a chance again. We will fight for our country. This is our continent.”

The most popular videos from YouTube about the alleged shock on the ivory coast, which have viewed millions of times, shared channels that often stylish themselves as dedicated to Panaphicanism or discussion about Junta Burkina-Faso leader.

According to Ethion Uuo, associate professor at the Nigerian University of UJ and the President of the Panopic Dialogue Institute of Dialogue, some “conjunctural influential participants” romanticize military governments under the guise of Panophicanism-movement to promote unity and release on the continent.

But he said the BBC that this type of content turned to young people disappointed with politics, adding, “I can understand their excess.”

Kenyan Academic Carut Coning agrees that the content of social media falls into the pursuit of accountable leaders who can change Africa, do not affect resources and do not try to raise people out of poverty.

“But people who are trying to provide misinformation and misinformation about the traior in Burkina Faso, or about the coup in Coast-Dioire are not Panapican agents,” said Professor of Studies on Development Research at Nairobi University Development.

Undoubtedly, Traoré has many fans, and for the creators of the content it is the story of the moment – everything related to it, and its political worldview is very good on the Internet.

Kenya YouTube Godfrey Otien, who produces content at Trending News, said he came across this winning formula a few months ago when he posted a video reporting on a false statement that CAPT Traoré was shot by his best friend.

“This is really a trend,” he said to the BBC, “and since then its content is almost all about Burkinab leader.

He was one of those who repeated unverified information about the ivory coast in May and his video scored more than 200,000 views. He later apologized and said he was wrong.

He admits that he earns money from some of his content, but adds that he does not monetize all his messages and unlike some people who call “Pan-African influential participants,” claims that his motives are not exclusively financial.

“There are people who use misinformation and misinformation in space to increase their achievement and for interaction,” he said.

In this content, there is a real interest, and the comments in fake videos were often positive, possibly reflecting the appetite for change on the continent.

But calling for the removal of the government -Dzhugora caused a real concern for those who live in the intersection – and all this contributes to increased tensions, as the West African state is preparing for voting in October.

Additional reporting BBC Nicolas Négoce