Massive Online Network Spreading Pro-UAE Propaganda Across Africa, Report Finds

A sophisticated network of fake social media accounts using stolen images of Somali women has been orchestrated to promote UAE interests and Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a recent BBC investigation.

The report, published on October 21, uncovered more than 100 fraudulent accounts across X, Facebook, and TikTok that impersonated Somali Muslim women and influencers. These accounts specifically targeted audiences throughout Africa, with a particular focus on the East African region.

According to the investigation, the primary purpose of this coordinated network was to “manipulate online discourse and conceal the UAE’s role in supporting RSF in Sudan,” effectively shaping public opinion while obscuring the Emirates’ alleged backing of the paramilitary group.

The scale of the operation was substantial. Data analysis revealed these accounts published over 47,000 posts between January 2023 and September 2025, reaching an audience exceeding 215 million users. The accounts employed both stolen photos of real people and AI-generated images to create credible-seeming personas.

“This character is not me. My images are being used, and I can’t do anything to these people who are impersonating me,” one victimized Somali influencer told investigators, highlighting the personal impact of this digital impersonation campaign.

The coordinated accounts shared synchronized content across multiple languages, consistently portraying the UAE as a benevolent force in Somalia. Simultaneously, they attacked the Sudanese Armed Forces while defending the actions of the RSF, a paramilitary group that has been engaged in a violent power struggle in Sudan.

In one notable example, the fake accounts propagated claims about a supposed massacre committed by the Sudanese army in the city of Al-Obeid. However, major international news outlets and Sudan’s own Beam Reports found no verified evidence that any such attack occurred. Analysts noted that these fabricated stories emerged in August, shortly after Sudanese media reported that the Sudanese Air Force had destroyed a UAE aircraft allegedly carrying foreign mercenaries.

Disinformation researcher Marc Owen Jones characterized these accounts as “electronic puppets” operating as part of a broader propaganda network designed to advance UAE foreign policy objectives across Africa. The sophisticated nature of the operation suggests significant resources behind the effort.

Social media analyst Alessandro Accorsi provided additional context, explaining that operations of this scale are typically managed by private public relations firms contracted specifically by political actors to influence public opinion across regions.

The UAE has consistently denied providing financial or military support to the RSF. However, Sudanese officials continue to allege that Abu Dhabi supplies the paramilitary group with both funding and weapons through intermediary networks, fueling the ongoing conflict.

The allegations have escalated to the international legal arena. In April, Khartoum initiated legal action against the UAE at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing the Emirates of creating the “driving force” behind what they described as an ongoing “genocide” in Sudan. The legal filing demanded that the UAE cease all support to the RSF and make “full reparations,” including compensation to victims of the war.

Tensions further intensified in May when Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim publicly accused the UAE of violating Sudan’s sovereignty through its “proxy,” the RSF, and formally declared the UAE a “state of aggression.”

This revelation comes amid growing international concern about digital influence operations and their potential to shape regional conflicts and geopolitical dynamics, particularly in areas already experiencing political instability and armed conflict.