France blocks panafrican influencer accused of spreading pro-Russian propaganda

France and Russia are locked in a fierce battle for influence across Africa, with both nations deploying sophisticated information warfare tactics. This digital conflict intensified following Moscow’s 2018 military intervention in the Central African Republic, where Russia sought to undermine France’s historical sphere of influence by swaying public opinion in its favor. While Paris has only recently acknowledged this strategy—previously observed in other global hotspots since at least 2014—it is now countering these efforts with equal intensity.