Leaked internal documents detail how a Russian-linked network sought to expand Moscow’s political influence across Africa, particularly within the Sahel alliance- Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso- through coordinated propaganda, lobbying and pressure campaigns, according to a cross-border investigation led by the pan-African media outlet The Continent and the journalism network Forbidden Stories.
Forbidden Stories is an international consortium that continues investigations initially pursued by journalists who have been killed, imprisoned or silenced. The network works with media partners worldwide, including France’s RFI, which contributed to the investigation.
The files form part of the “Propaganda Machine” project and are based on more than 1,400 pages of internal records from Africa Politology, a group founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group.
Africa Politology was later taken over by Russian foreign intelligence services after Wagner was dismantled following a failed mutiny and Prigozhin’s death in 2023, according to the investigation.
The documents outline efforts to strengthen the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) linking Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and to expand it to neighboring countries while promoting Russian geopolitical and economic interests.
The Sahel is identified as a priority region for Russia’s renewed engagement in Africa, alongside the Central African Republic.
An August 2023 strategy paper called for building a “confederation of independence” to counter Western influence across a corridor stretching from Senegal and Guinea to Sudan and Eritrea.
Military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2021 and 2023 are described as opening the way for closer ties with Moscow following the withdrawal of French forces.
The documents detail objectives aligned with Russian foreign policy, including weakening Western security partnerships, opening markets for arms and hydrocarbons, and securing diplomatic backing at the UN.
Budgets cited include tens of thousands of dollars for communication campaigns in Niger in 2024, with hundreds of paid media articles and social media posts.
In Niger, the files claim Africa Politology helped weaken ties with the United States through political and street pressure, organized cultural events promoting Russia, and encouraged narratives accusing France of backing armed groups. Similar tactics are described in Mali, including campaigns against foreign mining companies and critics of the military authorities.
The documents also outline influence efforts beyond the Sahel, targeting countries including Chad, Guinea, Senegal, Togo, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire.
While the files make broad claims of success, analysts cited by Forbidden Stories cautioned that the real impact of the campaigns remains unclear, noting that local dynamics and actors play a decisive role beyond foreign influence operations.
