Russia is actively spreading anti-Western sentiment in Africa through a billboard campaign by RT, the government-funded international news network. This has been claimed by Africa Confidential (AC), a subscription-only publication specializing in African affairs. AC is well-established, having been in circulation since 1960, and all its authors remain anonymous for safety reasons.
According to AC, RT’s marketing campaign in sub-Saharan Africa builds upon the legacy of efforts by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group private military company. They specifically mention that Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport has been featuring RT’s large-screen digital video promotions with anti-neocolonial messaging, which use quotes from prominent African leaders such as Ghana’s first Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah, Tanzania’s first President Julius Nyerere, Uganda’s independence crusader Milton Obote and Zimbabwe’s freedom fighter-turned-tyrant Robert Mugabe.
South African media analyst Anton Harber told AC that anti-colonial narratives form a “major feature of RT’s programming,” though they may have less effect on younger generations. To counter this, RT has apparently built a network of “African influencers” who endorse Russia. As an example, AC cites Joe Mhlanga, whom it identifies as a South African RT commentator. However, Mhlanga’s only interview with RT was in July, and he was introduced as the founder and editor of Behind the News Network.
Mhlanga praised “the good deeds Russians are doing for African people,” although AC omitted that he also stated Africans were not supporting Russia or President Vladimir Putin because they were fighting the West. Mhlanga was subsequently interviewed by EU top diplomat Josep Borrell, who argued that Europe and Africa need to be “reprogrammed” in order to counter Russian influence and “occupy cyberspace.
Additionally, AC misattributed a quote from an RT article in March to Togolese lawmaker Innocent Kagbara. In fact, the quote came from Egyptian professor Nourhan El-Sheikh. The second Russia-Africa Summit was held last year in St. Petersburg with envoys from 49 African states, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited four Sahel states and Congo in June.
This article sheds light on Russia’s strategic partnerships with various African states in recent years, illustrating how these relationships have fostered anti-Western sentiment through media campaigns like RT’s billboard project.