On a warm Friday morning in late October, in the Senegalese capital of Dakar, a quiet but consequential conversation was taking place. The setting was the Timbuktu Institute, a respected African research center that had just entered its tenth year of existence. To mark the occasion, the Institute had joined hands with the Embassy of Poland to host a seminar on a theme that, in recent years, has become impossible to ignore: the spread of disinformation. For those in the room, the message was stark and urgent. Disinformation is no longer a marginal problem or a matter of harmless rumors floating around social media. It is a structural threat to democracy, to peace, and to security—not only on the African continent but also in Europe. The two regions, though separated by geography and history, nevertheless share a common vulnerability to the manipulation of information. And the conclusion of the seminar, delivered by the Institute’s Director and President, Bakary Sambe, was that the response must be collective, immediate, and deeply rooted in the realities of the communities most exposed to this danger.
The seminar was more than a gathering of concerned intellectuals. It was also the stage for the presentation of a substantial piece of research, a joint report between the Timbuktu Institute and the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The study sought to understand disinformation in European societies and, equally importantly, to trace how it affects peace and security in the Sahel, that vast and complex region that stretches across the southern edge of the Sahara. What emerged from the report is that disinformation has changed in nature. In the past, one might have associated fake news with overzealous activists or shadowy campaigns orchestrated by obscure groups. That image is outdated. As Bakary Sambe put it, “Disinformation is no longer just the work of a few militants, activists or covert outfits; it has become widespread.” This is a crucial shift. What was once exceptional has become routine. What was once limited to text and manipulated images has now entered a far more dangerous phase, one in which technology amplifies reach and makes the truth almost impossible to distinguish from fabrication. The concern is not academic; it touches the very fabric of governance and social trust.
Perhaps the most unsettling part of the discussion was the revelation that disinformation is now being powered by generative artificial intelligence. Bakary Sambe drew attention to a particularly alarming trend: jihadist groups have begun to use AI tools not just for propaganda, but for recruitment. These technologies allow them to produce videos that seem real, to edit footage in ways that distort reality, and even to dub messages into several African languages. The implications are profound. A young person in the Sahel might encounter a video in their own language, delivered by a familiar voice, telling a story that has been carefully engineered to radicalize. This is not the work of a lone individual sitting in a basement; it is a sophisticated operation that exploits the very tools that many of us use daily for entertainment, education, and communication. The result is that states, already stretched thin by other security challenges, now face a much harder task in anticipating threats. How do you predict when the next attack might come, when the enemy can create an endless stream of convincing lies, each one tailored to the fears and hopes of a specific community? This is the new reality, and the seminar made clear that old methods of monitoring and response are no longer sufficient.
Given the seriousness of the problem, one might expect a mood of hopelessness, but the seminar instead pushed for practical and human-centered solutions. Bakary Sambe proposed a multi-layered approach, starting with media literacy. If people are trained from an early age to question what they see, to verify sources, and to understand how algorithms work, they become less susceptible to manipulation. This is not a quick fix; it is a long-term investment in the minds of the next generation. But Sambe also stressed the importance of awareness-raising among young people, who are, after all, the primary consumers of digital content. Alongside this, he called for a determined fight against digital illiteracy. It is not enough to have smartphones and internet access; people need to understand the systems behind the screens. This is where cooperation between Africa and Europe becomes essential. Sambe suggested that mechanisms like Viginum, the French government’s service dedicated to the fight against foreign digital interference, could serve as models. Yet he was careful to add that such tools cannot simply be copied and pasted into the Sahel. They must be adapted to local languages, cultural contexts, and social realities. A report that makes sense in Paris may not resonate in Bamako or Niamey. The challenge, then, is to build bridges between continents while respecting the distinct landscapes in which disinformation operates.
A particularly striking part of the seminar was Sambe’s refusal to accept a common narrative about democracy in Africa. There is a persistent belief, often held in the West, that African populations have turned their backs on democratic governance. Sambe, drawing on research, firmly rejected this idea. Studies show that between 60 and 70 percent of West Africans still consider democracy to be the ideal form of government. The problem, he argued, is not with democracy itself. The problem lies in the credibility of those who present themselves as defenders of democracy. When international partners preach democratic values while acting in ways that seem inconsistent or self-serving, when global institutions are perceived as unfair or indifferent to African concerns, trust erodes. It is not that people no longer believe in the principles of democracy; it is that they no longer believe in the voices that, for decades, have told them what democracy should look like. This is a subtle but crucial distinction. It shifts the responsibility from abstract ideology to concrete behavior. It asks awkward questions of governments and international actors alike. And it explains, at least in part, why some young Africans today appear to support leaders who challenge the old democratic establishment. These are not people who have abandoned democratic ideals. In many cases, they are the same young men and women who, just a few years ago, took to the streets to defend those ideals. They have not changed; the landscape around them has.
The challenge, therefore, is one of restoration. Trust must be rebuilt, not through grand speeches but through greater consistency between what is said and what is done. Democratic principles must be matched by democratic practices. Those who champion democracy, whether in Africa or in Europe, must show themselves to be worthy of the trust placed in them. This is a difficult task, but the seminar made it clear that there is no alternative. The fight against disinformation is not a technical exercise; it is a struggle for the human spirit. It is about whether we can live in societies where conversations are honest, where decisions are shaped by facts, and where citizens can trust the information they receive. The meeting ended with a call for joint mobilization by states, the media, researchers, and civil society. No single actor can win this fight alone. Governments need to create legal frameworks and invest in institutions. Media organizations need to uphold ethical standards and resist the temptation to prioritize clicks over truth. Researchers need to continue exposing the mechanisms of digital manipulation. And civil society needs to remain vigilant, educated, and engaged. In a digital environment that is constantly evolving, the fight against disinformation has become more than a policy option; it is an essential condition for preserving democracy, peace, and stability in both the Sahel and Europe. The seminar in Dakar did not pretend to have all the answers, but it gave weight to the questions and reminded everyone present that the future depends on what we choose to believe, share, and defend.