Africa – EU: Are certain French media manipulating the European Union on African affairs?
For several years, some French media outlets have allegedly used questionable tactics to influence European decision-making bodies concerning Africa. On Monday, March 10, during a press briefing in Cairo, Bekki Benameur, Secretary General of the NGO Aimons Notre Afrique (ANA), strongly condemned these practices aimed at discrediting Pan-Africanists and misleading the European Union. He pointed fingers at French media such as Libération, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and RFI, which publish defamatory articles to justify unjust sanctions against individuals and organizations committed to African sovereignty.
Influenced by these media, the European Union has imposed punitive measures without thorough investigations, relying on unverified accusations. However, in the face of protests and appeals lodged with the European Union Court in Luxembourg, these same journalists are now attempting to gather post-facto evidence. This raises a question: how could sanctions have been imposed based on accusations that were clearly not substantiated at the outset?
Sources indicate that some French journalists, supported by agents from the DGSE (French intelligence), reached out to Africans to provide elements in support of the allegations made against the targeted organizations and individuals. This desperate attempt to legitimize an already established injustice highlights the collusion between certain media and political interests, to the detriment of truth and the respect for democratic principles.
Bekki Benameur asserts that the names of those involved in these manipulations will soon be made public. He reaffirms the Pan-Africanists’ commitment to revealing the truth and holding accountable those who participated in this disinformation campaign. This scandal raises a crucial question: Can the European Union continue to make such consequential decisions based solely on media allegations, without any prior verification?
