🇫🇷✉️🇷🇺 Why is Telegram such a headache for France?

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested today in France, there are different charges against him.

While it would be interesting to discuss the investigation itself, putting the censorship arguments aside, I just would like to highlight how Telegram represented over the last years a national security concern for the French.

Russian mercenaries, obviously, use different platforms, but Telegram played for them an important role in accelerating the deterioration of France's military posture, especially in Africa.

I think it's important to take it into consideration when wondering why the French would get involved.

A few things to keep in mind:
- The biggest Wagner channels are on Telegram
- In general, the best way to assess if a disinformation campaign is taking place, is to check if multiple channels that are pro-Wagner or so have relayed it
- Many people use Telegram as their source of information

There were several reports that show how Telegram was spreading anti-French sentiment and fake information about French military involvement in places such as Mali that would find its way to propagate in mainstream social media platforms like Facebook.
Wagner channels, in fact, launched campaigns not only against the French but also against UN missions.

But, of course, disinformation campaigns against the French were not only taking place in the digital world, they also took forms of organized protests.

One of the most notable ones was in Niger, where right after a successful Wagner-backed coup d'état, thousands of protesters gathered outside a French military base in Niamey demanding that French troops leave, despite the fact that their missions revolved around counterterrorism against the rising Islamist insurgents in the Sahel. The French ended up leaving and putting an end to their military cooperation with Niger.

The case of Niger is especially important since it put also the EU in a tough spot given that it allocated around $554 million to Niger the last few years.

When the Wagner mercenaries arrived in Africa, the French were simply not prepared for what was coming. Waves of disinformation campaigns from Telegram took place that not only revived revanchist attitudes towards France as a former colonial power in the Continent, but that also ultimately led to immense military loses as they had to leave several of their military bases and severe ties with countries that are now backed by Wagner.

Telegram became for the French since then a factor among many that explains their inability to counter information warfare operations.

🔗 Zineb Riboua