The United States may not directly admit it, but to a great extent, the world’s most powerful military believes part of the reason it is losing allies in areas like West Africa, is because geopolitical rivals, particularly Russia, have amped up their disinformation campaigns against Washington.
The US is battling to recover lost influence in parts of Africa, as Russia – in particular amongst the rival superpowers – makes inroads in terms of strategic alliances on the continent. Most recently, the US has agreed to Niger’s demands to withdraw from the West African country, where it was present for years and had built a $100 million base to monitor a region frequently the site of coups and terrorism.
Islamist groups are also winning hearts and minds to some extent in Somalia, a long-running battle in which the US has poured billions of dollars and had boots on the ground since the 1980s.
Another group winning some minds and hearts with a spirited, well-financed influence campaign, is the Wagner Group, the Russian state-funded private military company with a growing presence in several African countries.
General Michael Langley, Commander of the US Africa Command, believes there is a disinformation campaign involving a “weaponisation of social media,” that is directly related to instability on the continent.
Known as AFRICOM, the US Africa Command is one of the 11 combatant commands of the United States and is responsible for military operations, including fighting regional conflicts and maintaining military relations with African nations.
“The new challenges are mainly the prevalence of disinformation and misinformation and I have seen that recently in the last couple of years,” Langley said in Gaborone recently at a meeting of top US and African military leaders.
“There’s a direct correlation and great connection to instability across the continent.
“Our shared values are being increasingly attacked through disinformation and misinformation. “(Through) the weaponisation of social media, our image, and intentions are being warped and the people across Africa are paying the price, piercing the very fabric of what we believe are the necessities of enduring peace and freedom.”
According to Langley, in 2023, over 180 disinformation campaigns were targeting at least 39 African nations “leading to fighting, corruption, changes in national relations and indifference to civil society.”
“We must reset our approach and come together on strategic messaging, not only strategic messaging but strategic communication.
“As I go around and script my narrative and what we believe and our approach for effective partnership, I need to back it up with assurance and actions.
“We do that all the time with our security forces, brigades, through the state partnership programmes, through the exercises that we execute and through our conferences.”
In March, Washington-based publication, DefenseOne, estimated that the US State Department’s Global Engagement Centre has a $61 million budget, compared to the more than $1.5 billion Russia spends on global information campaigns each year.
What’s in Africa?
Analysts say the geopolitical powers of the world are engaged in an influence battle in Africa for several reasons. One is political support, a key consideration for Russia, which seeks the legitimisation of its invasion of Ukraine in organisations such as the United Nations.
In addition, Africa represents a ready and willing market for the various weapons, training and other military expenditures coming from the superpowers. Some African governments do not have ethical hang-ups in dealing with sanctions-hit Moscow and its allies in the purchase of all types of weaponry, intelligence equipment and other military architecture.
One emerging, but less mentioned attraction for the superpowers in Africa, is the continent’s massive natural resources, particularly the critical minerals required for the energy transition.
According to United Nation’s estimates, Africa is home to 55% of the world’s cobalt resources, 47.65% of manganese, 21.6% of natural graphite, 5.9 percent of copper, 5.6 percent of nickel, one percent of lithium, and 0.6 percent of iron ore.
The continent has about 30% of the world’s known critical minerals.
Partnerships with Africa, a continent with the world’s youngest population, are key for the world’s future.
This particular consideration is top of mind for the US in its diplomatic engagements with China, an ally of Russia, in Africa.
Washington is eager to ensure that China, which also has significant critical mineral resources, does not control the global supply.
“The United States is seeking to diversify its critical minerals supply chains to strengthen its economic and national security,” reads a note from the United States Institute of Peace, an organisation founded by the US congress.
“Meanwhile, many African countries are aiming to develop critical mineral industries, taking economic advantage of the growing demand for their natural resources.
“USIP experts are focusing on how the US and its allies can better forge mutually beneficial critical mineral partnerships with African governments in the face of competition with China, which has been growing its presence on the African continent for decades.”
Washington’s fight with Beijing in Africa is thus for economic influence or partnerships with allies who can secure key, strategic growth areas for the future, such as critical minerals value chains.
