The networks aimed at swaying opinion in countries in North Africa and the Middle East, including Chad. Facebook said the troll accounts aimed at influencing users about French and Russian activity in Africa. Chad is a former French colony and a close ally of France in its fight against jihadism in the Sahel. The government statement urged “all African countries who have been victims of these manipulation activities to think about setting up a joint framework to coordinate action” against them. It noted, however, that countries in Africa, including the troubled Central African Republic, had become targets for “destabilising” disinformation campaigns.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 18, 2020 14:37 UTC