Mar 19, 2025 #aljazeeraenglish #investigativejournalism #News
In Africa's Ghost Reporters, Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit reveals a shadowy in

Mar 19, 2025 #aljazeeraenglish #investigativejournalism #News
In Africa's Ghost Reporters, Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit reveals a shadowy influence campaign that uses fake journalists and local media to spread political propaganda, mainly in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa.

The investigation uncovers how images of the dead have been used to create fake journalists, how middlemen peddle articles written by people that don't exist, and how an intricate web of influence eventually leads to a man and organisation with an extensive history of manipulating the truth.

In Africa's Ghost Reporters, Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit reveals a shadowy influence campaign that uses fake journalists and local media to spread political propaganda, mainly in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa.

The investigation uncovers how images of the dead have been used to create fake journalists, how middlemen peddle articles written by people that don't exist, and how an intricate web of influence eventually leads to a man and organisation with an extensive history of manipulating the truth.

UPDATE: After the publication of this film, the I-Unit received a response from the French Foreign Ministry.

It said France has been working on transforming its “historic partnership” with Africa, especially in the areas of security and finance.
“France has been militarily involved in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, particularly in Mali, at the request of the states concerned, and with due respect for their sovereignty…”
“…France has been reconfiguring its defense partnerships, with the aim of moving away from the logic of military bases."
It also stated that France is no longer present on the governing bodies of the Central Bank of West African States and open to other monetary reforms.
And that French media outlets publishing internationally under the state-owned France Médias Monde are “strictly free and independent.”

As mentioned in the film, Aubin Koutele said that neither he nor his outlet entered into any agreement as part of an influence campaign at the behest of Russia and that they were not aware of the existence of a pro-Russian influence campaign.

Koutele also denied acting as a middle man as part of any campaign and claimed he was helping fellow journalists.

The other parties featured, including the Russian government, did not respond to our inquiries.