False Coup Rumors in Ivory Coast Reveal Growing Disinformation Crisis

In May, management consultant Mafalda Marchioro awoke in Abidjan to concerned messages from friends abroad asking about her safety. Social media platforms were flooded with claims of an ongoing coup in Ivory Coast, complete with dramatic footage of soldiers on streets and AI-generated news reports accumulating millions of views.

“I was really worried, really concerned, I thought something had happened,” Marchioro told the BBC.

These claims, which circulated around May 19, were entirely false – representing the latest example of fabricated coup rumors plaguing West Africa, a region that has experienced several actual military takeovers in recent years.

Ivory Coast, one of the few French-speaking nations maintaining close Western alignment, faces presidential elections later this year. Analysts believe the country may become an increasingly frequent target for disinformation campaigns aimed at undermining its electoral process.

President Alassane Ouattara, who is expected to seek a controversial fourth term, is viewed as pro-Western. His critics accuse him of aligning with nations they claim are exploiting the continent.

Ivory Coast’s Communications Minister Amadou Coulibaly told the BBC they traced the false information to “neighbouring countries,” though he declined to specify which ones.

The fabricated coup narrative appears to have emerged from escalating tensions with neighboring Burkina Faso and gained traction through a growing network of self-described “pan-Africanist” influencers who reject Western ties, often express support for Russia, and generate conversations across multiple African nations including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

These influencers frequently promote figures like Burkina Faso’s military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup. Traoré presents himself as a pan-Africanist and enjoys substantial genuine support from young people across the continent who view him as standing up to Western influence.

Alex Vines, director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House think tank, explains that these influencers attempt to erode public confidence in existing political leadership by spreading coup rumors.

“They are finding an avid market of readers who want to see more assertive African leaders, who are developmental and bring peace and prosperity,” Vines told the BBC.

While analysts note similarities between the Ivory Coast rumors and previous Russian-sponsored campaigns, no evidence directly links Russia to these specific false claims. According to the US Department of Defense’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies, disinformation networks connected to Russia’s Wagner Group previously attempted to spark coup rumors in Niger during 2023.

Similarly, no evidence directly implicates Burkina Faso’s government in creating the Ivory Coast coup rumors, though individuals based there actively amplified them.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated significantly over a year ago when Traoré accused Ivory Coast of harboring militant groups and dissidents critical of his junta. In April, his security minister blamed conspirators allegedly based in Ivory Coast for plotting to overthrow Traoré – accusations that gained widespread online traction.

The BBC Global Disinformation Unit analyzed mentions of the fake Ivorian coup across multiple platforms. The earliest popular post they identified was published May 19 by Harouna Sawadogo, a pro-government activist in Burkina Faso with 200,000 TikTok followers who primarily creates content promoting Captain Traoré.

Sawadogo posted a selfie video in French and Mooré (a local language) encouraging Ivorian soldiers to rise up and urging followers to share his post. An hour later, he published a video featuring an image of President Ouattara superimposed over footage of gunfire, claiming a coup was underway – though the footage actually showed recent India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir.

The following day, social media users beyond Francophone West Africa amplified the misinformation to English-speaking audiences across Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

When contacted by the BBC weeks later, Sawadogo provided no details about his information sources but responded that he “prays to God Alassane [Ouattara] is brought down by a coup d’etat.”

Turkish-born South African activist Mehmet Vefa Dag, who runs the Truth and Solidarity Movement, also spread the rumor through multiple English-language posts celebrating what he termed an “internal coup.” When contacted by the BBC on June 3, well after it was clear no coup had occurred, Dag insisted one had happened.

“We are very proud of whoever did this coup to remove Ouattara. He had sold his soul to imperialists and wanted to destroy Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger,” he claimed, adding: “As pan-Africanists we will never give them a chance ever again. We’re going to fight for our country. This is our continent.”

The most-viewed YouTube videos about the alleged Ivory Coast turmoil garnered millions of views and primarily came from channels self-identifying as dedicated to pan-Africanism or discussions about Burkina Faso’s junta leader.

Professor Effiong Udo from Nigeria’s University of Uyo and president of the Pan-African Dialogue Institute explains that some “opportunistic influencers” romanticize military governments under the guise of pan-Africanism to increase popularity and monetize content.

“I can understand their overzealousness,” Udo told the BBC, noting this content appeals to young people disillusioned with traditional politics.

Kenyan academic Karuti Kanyinga agrees that such social media content taps into desires for accountable leadership capable of transforming Africa, reducing corruption and addressing poverty.

“But the people trying to provide misinformation and disinformation about Traoré in Burkina Faso, or about a coup in Ivory Coast are not agents of pan-Africanism,” said Kanyinga, a research professor at the University of Nairobi’s Institute for Development Studies.

For content creators, Traoré represents a compelling narrative that performs exceptionally well online. Kenyan YouTuber Godfrey Otieno discovered this formula months ago when a video falsely claiming Traoré had been shot by his friend “really trended.” Since then, his content has focused almost exclusively on the Burkinabé leader.

While some creators acknowledge monetary motivations behind spreading sensational, often unverified information, the widespread appetite for this content likely reflects genuine desires for political change across the continent.

However, for Ivory Coast residents, these false coup narratives caused real anxiety – and contribute to mounting tensions as the West African nation approaches its October elections.