On February 10-11, 2026, researchers and consultants convened in Dakar, Senegal, for the primary Africa Discussion board on Countering Overseas Interference (CFI). The discussion board introduced collectively members from Africa, Europe and America to look at the rising problem of international data manipulation and its implications for governance, media ecosystems, and digital rights throughout the African continent.
The Discussion board was organised beneath the CFI mission carried out by the European Union Institute for Safety Research (EUISS), in cooperation with the Service for Overseas Coverage Devices (FPI) on the European Fee and the European Exterior Motion Service (EEAS). The mission goals to strengthen EU capacities to forestall, deter and counter data manipulation within the digital house.
World wide, international data manipulation and interference (FIMI) has develop into a serious menace to data integrity, human rights, democratic discourse, and public belief. In Africa, the phenomenon has taken on new dimensions as geopolitical competitors performs out within the digital sphere. Already, many African nations such because the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa are going through a posh terrain of disinformation. Consequently, disinformation practices are anticipated to proceed shaping and adversely affecting human rights and democracy, amidst the rising repression and curtailment of digital areas in Africa.
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Overseas state and non-state actors have been linked to sponsorship of disinformation campaigns in Africa, to advertise their strategic, political and enterprise pursuits. They embrace China with its authoritarian capitalism agenda and Israel with its strategic safety agenda. Equally, Russia goals to displace Western affect in Africa, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, that are in rivalry over ports and the strategic safety structure of the Purple Sea, and Qatar with mass financial pursuits. The US of America can also be related to the drive of narratives that search to neutralise its adversaries, particularly China and Russia, and likewise to safe and utilise crucial minerals from the African continent in nations such because the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
The discussion board highlighted the crucial function of impartial analysis in understanding disinformation traits, causes, results and management measures, native socio-political dynamics, and media ecosystems.
The Collaboration on Worldwide ICT Coverage for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), the European College Institute, Tech World Institute, Worldwide Press Institute, Media Monitoring Africa, Moxii Africa and Intelwatch, shared insights on potential response methods to counter data manipulation. Specifically, CIPESA harassed that efforts to counter data manipulation should safeguard human rights and shouldn’t be used as a justification for restrictive insurance policies that undermine digital rights.
Individuals on the Dakar discussion board famous that Africa’s data ecosystem faces numerous vulnerabilities that make it inclined to manipulation. Restricted entry to information, under-resourced analysis establishments, inappropriate authorized frameworks, and monetary pressures throughout the media sector have been famous as main challenges.
Immediately, international brokers account for the extension of disinformation equipment with troll farms, native influencers and bots deployed throughout the continent to affect and form public narratives and perceptions. Equally, a multiplicity of lies are instructed about mining, commerce and funding, safety constructions, agriculture and schooling sectors on the continent as a device to assist traders safe contracts with out public participation and scrutiny.
Journalism, which is a key sector that ought to promote transparency and accountability, has not been spared by FIMI. Financial pressures confronted by the native media and media actors make them inclined to affect from international actors.
In different circumstances, they’ve been sighted to enter into agreements and memorandums of understanding which largely undermine media professionalism and integrity. Such undertakings are rising as conduits for propaganda and carry the biggest portion of blame for a declining media career.
Sadly, journalists and media practitioners against the agreements and distorted narratives are sometimes harassed and intimidated to pave the best way for gendered disinformation or develop into major targets of fellow practitioners who are sometimes paid off or are benefiting from international actors.
Notably, African regional human rights establishments and civic actors are more and more partaking with the difficulty of data integrity. The African Fee on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has acknowledged the dangers posed by the rising international interference within the digital house. Its Decision 630, issued in 2025, in paragraph 7 particularly addresses the necessity for expertise corporations to take care of data integrity. It observes that international interference is probably dangerous to data integrity.
Moreover, the Particular Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Entry to Info is at the moment growing tips aimed toward supporting African states to handle dangerous content material with out undermining basic freedoms.
Civil society organisations like CIPESA additionally play a significant function in these conversations by advocating for the rights-respecting governance of platforms, transparency in content material moderation and improved accountability measures for tech corporations.
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Individuals on the Dakar discussion board made a number of suggestions:
Multi-stakeholder collaboration to counter international interference by involving governments, civil society, researchers, media organisations and expertise corporations.
Strengthening impartial media via the creation of nationwide and regional funds to help investigative journalism and cut back vulnerability to international affect.
Conducting coaching for journalists to determine and counter FIMI.
Conducting nationwide media and digital literacy to assist residents guard in opposition to FIMI.
Governments ought to undertake measures together with collective negotiation with multi-national tech corporations to make sure efficient content material moderation by platforms.
Governments ought to help ACHPR processes to counter FIMI, akin to via well timed provision of sources and implementation of its resolutions.
Promote transparency in strategic sectors akin to mining and power by requiring full public disclosure of contracts to protect in opposition to disinformation.