Pro-russian voices in africa: kemi seba, nathalie yamb and others

Key Kremlin allies in Africa are spreading pro-Russian narratives through media, political, and social networks. Among them, controversial figures like Kemi Seba and Nathalie Yamb stand out as prominent voices amplifying Moscow’s influence across the continent.

how russian oligarchs build influence networks in africa

At the heart of these operations is Evgueni Prigojine, a close associate of Vladimir Poutine and financier of the Wagner group. Through entities like the Afric (Association for Free Research and International Cooperation), headed in Maputo by the Mozambican academic José Matemulane and presided over by Prigojine’s associate Ioulia Afanasieva, Russia conducts coordinated influence campaigns. This network leverages panafricanist media outlets such as Radio Révolution panafricaine and Afrique Média TV, based in Cameroon and led by Justin B. Tagouh. Tagouh claims to have met Poutine twice in Sotchi.

Afrique Média TV frequently features Banda Kani, leader of Cameroon’s Nouveau Mouvement Populaire, who openly promotes pro-Kremlin views—including labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “criminal oligarch”—while also hosting Kemi Seba, the Franco-Béninois activist.

kemi seba: from panafricanism to pro-kremlin advocacy

Kemi Seba, founder of the Urgence Panafricaniste NGO, has cultivated ties with Aleksandr Douguine, a Russian nationalist ideologue advocating a multipolar world and anti-Western policies. Seba met Poutine in 2017 and again in March 2022, alongside Mikhaïl Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Africa and the Middle East. His speeches at Moscow’s Diplomatic Academy further align with Kremlin narratives.

Despite distancing himself from Evgueni Prigojine after the oligarch allegedly urged violent actions against Western symbols—even at the risk of collateral damage in Africa—Seba continues to endorse pro-Russian stances on social media. In a 2020 interview on Vox Africa, he revealed being invited by Prigojine to Russia, Sudan, and Libya.

nathalie yamb: the “dame de sotchi” and her media reach

Nathalie Yamb, a Swiss-Cameroonian activist dubbed the “Dame de Sotchi” after attending the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit, is one of Africa’s most vocal critics of France. Her expulsion from Côte d’Ivoire in December 2019 followed her participation in a Berlin conference organized by Afric and the Foundation for the Protection of National Values—a Prigojine-linked group led by Alexander Malkevitch, a journalist with ties to Russian intelligence.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Yamb has unabashedly supported Moscow. She remains active in Ivorian politics as a member of the Lider party, whose Twitter account amplifies pro-Russian propaganda. Although party founder Mamadou Koulibaly has stepped back from politics, he visited Bamako in March 2022 to back Mali’s pro-Russian junta, framing his support as a stance against Western embargoes.

pro-russian networks in west and central africa

In Mali, Adama Diarra (“Ben le Cerveau”), spokesperson for the pro-Russian movement Yerewolo – Debout sur les remparts, publicly confirmed Wagner’s negotiations with the Malian government in 2021. He claims 50 Russian military experts have been deployed to Bamako since late 2021, providing strategic support to the junta. Diarra orchestrates most pro-Russian protests in Mali.

In the Central African Republic (CAR), Fred Krock, director of the popular radio station Lengo Songo, serves as a key Kremlin ally. Funded by Lobaye Invest—a Wagner-linked mining company—Lengo Songo amplifies voices of Russian officials like ambassador Vladimir Titorenko, presidential advisor Valeri Zakharov, and sociologist Maksim Shugaley. The station’s pro-Kremlin slant is echoed by figures like Blaise Didacien Kossimatchi and Harouna Douamba, both organizers of pro-Russia rallies in Bangui.

South Africa’s digital pro-kremlin activism

South Africa’s digital sphere also amplifies pro-Russian narratives. The Twitter account of Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla—daughter of former President Jacob Zuma—popularized the #IStandWithRussia hashtag, amassing hundreds of thousands of shares. Her posts predominantly criticize NATO and Western imperialism.

These interconnected networks—spanning media, politics, and social activism—demonstrate how Russia leverages local proxies to expand its footprint in Africa, often exploiting anti-Western sentiment and sovereignty narratives.