By Shehu Olayinka
LEADERSHIP, a popular Abuja-based Nigerian newspaper, claimed in an article published on July 20, 2024 that Eastern European country, Ukraine, is spreading disinformation and Russophobic narratives in Africa.
The article (archived here) alleged that the Ukrainian regime sought, by hook or by crook, to discredit Russia in the eyes of political and expert circles and the population of African states.
The newspaper story did not mention the report, the title of the report, or which individual or organisation published the said report it is quoting that Ukraine is actively spreading disinformation and Russophobic narratives on the African continent.
A quoted paragraph in the article read: “Ukrainian propagandists also do not ignore the countries of the “black continent.” Moreover, the pragmatic and sober assessment by the states of the “Global South” of the causes and course of the Ukrainian crisis forces Kiev to increase the scale of aggressive anti-Russian propaganda in Africa, actively spreading disinformation and Russophobic narratives here,” the report quoted.
“With its lies, Kiev intends to neutralise Moscow’s successes in creating a just multipolar world order, establishing and developing strong and mutually beneficial trade and economic ties with the states of the macroregion, allowing, in particular, to neutralise threats to food security.”
An internet search turned up no reports from which Leadership had obtained quotes. Furthermore, Google search on keywords from the article’s quoted paragraphs did not bring up publication of any such report.
A message sent on July 26, 2024, to an email and phone number on the Leadership website said to belong to its editor requesting information about the article was not responded to.
An email also sent to the personal email of Raliat Ahmed, the Managing Editor of Leadership on the same date was also not responded to.
This is not the first time the online version of a major Nigerian newspaper has published unverified reports relating to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In October 2023, a viral post on social media falsely claimed that Olena Zelenska, President Zelensky’s wife, spent $1.1 million on Cartier jewellery during the couple’s visit to the United States.
The claim, which first appeared in a September 30 YouTube video by an obscure channel, was published by The Nation Newspaper under its sponsored page on October 2, 2023.
The Nation further published at least three more such reports between October 2023 and January 2024 under its sponsored page (advertisement).
One of the reports alleged that Zelensky had provided Hamas with weapons to fight against Israel.
It had embedded a Facebook video from an account with one video post, which it said showed Hamas fighters claiming that they received military aid from the Ukrainian army and thanking President Zelensky for weapons and his aid in the fight against Israel.
However, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, on its official Facebook page, had earlier reacted to a similar video that emerged online in early October 2023, alleging Ukraine is sending arms to Hamas and accusing Russia of plotting a disinformation campaign around these claims.
Another article published by The Nation on November 30 alleged that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) doctors were performing organ surgeries on Ukrainian soldiers’ with Zelensky’s approval.
The Nation appears to have gotten the claim from a YouTube channel called “Stop Organ Harvesting,” which was created on November 22, 2022, and has only uploaded one video.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, seizing several villages and settlements in one of the most significant ground attacks in recent years.
There has been fairly substantial disinformation surrounding the Ukraine-Russia conflict targeting the African continent.
The BBC revealed in 2023 that a sizeable social network that supports pro-Kremlin and anti-Western ideologies was focusing on Africa.
Typical posts accuse France of modern-day “colonialism”, eulogise Vladimir Putin, and call the Ukrainian army “Nazis” and “Satanists”, echoing the official Russian line, the report noted.
