After last summer’s coup in Niger, the country has been flooded with false rumors, manipulated videos and disinformation. There is a large digital component to the growing conflicts within the Sahel region of Western Africa, which both intensifies and escalates the situation. Countries like France and Russia also play a part in this.
In a region characterized by a young population, many get their information from digital media. What does it mean when this information may be incorrect, and rather manipulated with the intent of polarizing and infuriating citizens? And what can we do in the face of this escalating role of digital disinformation and fake news in different conflicts?
Samba Dialimpla Badji is a research fellow at OsloMet University, currently writing his PhD on the role of digital media in the armed conflicts in Ethiopia and Mali. He has previously worked for the African fact check organization Africa Check. In this lecture, he will give and introduction to the information war in West Africa, and how this affects the region’s various conflicts.