A network tied to Russian intelligence operations spent $700 to publish a false story on Ghana Web claiming Ukraine was recruiting Ivorian citizens as soldiers, according to a joint investigation by FRANCE 24 Observers, The Continent, Forbidden Stories, All Eyes On Wagner and RFI. The article, published on July 12, 2024, cited fake recruitment posters in Abidjan offering $3,000 and European residency to Ivorians who would fight for Ukraine. The Ukrainian Embassy in Abidjan denied any involvement, stating it has never conducted or authorised such recruitment since its opening in April 2024. Investigators traced the disinformation campaign to a group known as The Company, previously led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group, and now operating under Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). Analysis of 76 leaked internal documents revealed The Company employs around 90 specialists and runs influence operations in nearly 30 countries across Africa and Latin America from its base in St. Petersburg. The documents include financial records, strategic plans and invoices showing the network spent $39,800 to publish similar content across multiple outlets, averaging $631 per article. One document identified Ivory Coast as a "promising country" for future operations within its "Africa Project," a continent-wide strategy to support leaders aligned with Moscow and counter Western influence. The investigation found the Ghanaweb article was published in a paid promotional section, for which the outlet charges $250, though The Company's records show it paid $700 for placement. Ghana Web did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
When The Company labels Ivory Coast a "promising country" for influence operations, it signals a strategic push into West Africa's media ecosystems using financial leverage, not journalistic integrity. The $700 spent on a single fake article reveals how low-cost disinformation can exploit commercial content spaces to manufacture geopolitical narratives. This is not just about one false story — it's about the weaponisation of digital media infrastructure in Africa by foreign actors. If paid content sections can be hijacked to impersonate foreign governments, the line between advertising and espionage has already blurred.
