This time, they are doing it openly, using Africa as a proving ground — and with the help of Alexander Malkevich, a Russian propagandist exiled from the US. On Wednesday, Facebook announced it had removed three networks of accounts, totaling dozens of pages, targeting a number of African countries. Facebook's takedown came just days after President Vladimir Putin's lavish reception at a summit for 54 African countries in the Russian resort town of Sochi. It deployed political strategists to at least three African countries, two of which are listed in the Facebook takedown announcement. Russian investigative outlet Proekt previously reported that Prigozhin became interested in soft-power projects in Africa in early 2018.

Source: Libya Today October 31, 2019 22:18 UTC