Russia’s Propaganda Network Taps into Africa’s Colonial Past
Billboards and videos have been popping up in several African cities, showcasing 20th-century independence leaders and anti-colonial quotes as part of a drive to promote the Kremlin-backed outlet RT. However, what they don’t advertise is that the Russian outlet has been largely blocked in the West for being part of Putin’s propaganda network and for pushing disinformation, including about the war in Ukraine.
The ad campaign aims to tap into Africa’s colonial past, a tactic that disinformation experts say Russia regularly uses to try to sow division. The billboards feature Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s first president; Ugandan independence leader Milton Obote; and former Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah, among others. Another billboard highlights Robert Mugabe, who was much-admired for leading Zimbabwe to independence but was later widely seen by his citizens as a tyrant.
RT’s deputy editor-in-chief, Anna Belkina, said the campaign emphasizes the network’s commitment to dismantling neo-colonialist narratives in news media. However, media watchdogs and disinformation analysts have long pointed to how Russia and China seek to gain a foothold in Africa, using free content and funding with local media as a sweetener.
Russia is the leading source of disinformation on the continent, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Its March 2024 report found a nearly fourfold increase in disinformation campaigns targeting African countries, with an aim of "triggering destabilizing and antidemocratic consequences."
The network’s pivot to Africa comes after it was badly hit by sanctions in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. RT has been making inroads on the continent, establishing a bureau in Algeria and signing a partnership with Afrique Media in Cameroon. The organization is also starting a new TV show based out of Kenya, anchored by well-known Kenyan lawyer P.L.O. Lumumba.
Experts say RT is using the narrative that Russia was never a colonial power to try and gain traction in Africa. Many African ruling parties have strong historical links to Moscow because the former Soviet Union supported their liberation struggles against colonial or white-minority rule.
However, some experts believe the campaign may not resonate with young Africans, who may view the use of African leaders from generations ago as outdated. Anton Harber, a former journalism professor at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand, said RT’s ad campaign is "too dated" and that the network is not an African voice, but rather Putin’s outlet, serving his country’s interests.
The campaign has sparked concerns about Russia’s growing influence on the continent, with some experts warning that it could exacerbate local grievances and destabilize democratic processes.
