China and Russia capitalize on VOA's exit from Africa

Languages: French (The service also oversees programming in Lingala, Sango, Wolof and Fulani.)

Target area: Francophone sub-Saharan countries

First broadcast: 1960
The year was a pivotal year for Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, with 14 countries gaining independence from France.

Service overview: “VOA’s French to Africa Service produces a broad mix of news and interactive programming for radio, television and the internet. On shortwave, VOA targets 22 Francophone countries in sub-Saharan Africa. On FM, VOA is broadcast on 24/7 transmitters in Abidjan, Bamako, Bangui, Brazzaville, Bukavu, Dakar, Gao, Goma, Kananga, Kigali, Kisangani, Lubumbashi, Matadi, Mbuji-Mayi, N’djamena, Niamey, Ouagadougou, Pointe Noire and Timbuktu. VOA provides an alternative to state-controlled media that dominate the airwaves in many of these countries. Although independent radio and television stations are making some advances, many remain subject to government interference.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

Russia’s media operations: Russia has been active in spreading disinformation and anti-France rhetoric across the Sahel, where coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have led to the expulsion of French troops. The French military has also left bases in Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Analysts point to Russian propaganda as a key driver of the shift away from France in the Sahel.

In 2024, U.S. General Michael Langley, then head of U.S. Africa Command, told lawmakers that one of the main drivers of Niger forcing U.S. troops out of the country and abandoning a $100 million drone base was Russia’s disinformation campaign. “The Russian Federation had their playbook. They had their passing game through their disinformation,” he told the House Armed Services Committee.

Language: Swahili

Target area: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo

First broadcast: 1962
The 1960s saw countries with large Swahili-speaking populations move toward democracy, with Tanganyika (later known as Tanzania), Kenya and Uganda gaining independence, and Zanzibar merging into Tanzania.

Service overview: “VOA’s Swahili Service broadcasts to East and Central African nations of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and several pockets of Swahili-speaking communities in West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. VOA Swahili programs are aired on shortwave and several FM affiliates in the region.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China and Russia’s media operations: Russia has been broadcasting in Swahili since the Cold War, and China has been producing news in the language since the early 2000s. China’s largest news bureau on the African continent is in Nairobi, Kenya, a hub for Swahili-speaking regions. In 2020, the bureau supported 150 journalists and 400 staff who produced 1,800 stories a month, according to a 2023 State Department report. Russia’s Sputnik set up a Swahili center in June 2025, and the TASS news agency announced plans to open new offices in Uganda and the DRC by 2026, doubling its offices on the continent to 12 countries by the end of the year.

Language: English

Target area: English speakers in all African countries (Map highlights countries where English is an official language or widely used in government.)

First broadcast: 1963
VOA began its broadcasts in English to the African continent just months before Kenya gained its independence from Britain. That same year, Nigeria became a federal republic and the Organization of African Unity — the precursor to the African Union — was established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Service overview: “VOA’s English to Africa Service provides multimedia news and information covering all 54 countries in Africa. VOA programs engage audiences with information about politics, science, technology, health, business and the arts, as well as programming on sports, music and entertainment.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China and Russia’s media operations: The continent's Southern Africa region is the area most targeted by Chinese-linked actors, who carried out disinformation campaigns in Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, according to a 2024 report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Chinese diplomats are increasingly using their positions to influence media content across the continent, publishing more than a dozen op-eds per year in countries such as South Africa and Nigeria, according to Freedom House.

Research by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies also found that three of the top five most targeted African countries for disinformation campaigns have large English-speaking populations — South Africa, Nigeria and Sudan. In South Africa, Kremlin-linked actors carry out the most campaigns, while in Sudan, it is military actors.

Language: Portuguese

Target area: Lusophone Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Principe).

First broadcast: 1976
In 1976, Portuguese-speaking African countries were solidifying their independence two years after the Carnation Revolution ended Portugal's long colonial rule. However, the year also saw Angola plunge into a civil war that became a Cold War proxy battle, while Mozambique began its own civil conflict.

Service overview: “VOA’s Portuguese to Africa Service broadcasts to Lusophone Africa and other countries where there are sizable Portuguese-speaking communities. The Portuguese broadcasts also reach East Timor, a Portuguese-speaking country in Southeast Asia, as well as Brazil via shortwave and the internet. The program line-up includes news, discussions, interviews, and a wide variety of features, including music and art.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

Russia and China’s media operations: Russia has long ties to Lusophone Africa, dating back to the Soviet era and has been expanding its influence in the region. In June 2025, the Russian state-owned news agency RT launched content in Portuguese specifically targeting audiences in Mozambique and Angola.

In Mozambique, state-owned media outlets such as the news agency AIM, the television station TVM, the radio broadcaster Rádio Moçambique, and the daily newspaper Jornal Notícias have long-standing ties with Chinese media entities. They report favorably on China and its bilateral relationship with Mozambique, according to Freedom House.

Languages: Hausa

Target area: Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Chad and Cameroon

First broadcast: 1979
Nigeria transitioned from military rule to a civilian government in 1979 with the election of President Shehu Shagari. In subsequent years, the country experienced three coups and years of turbulence before a period of greater stability in West Africa beginning in 1999, when Nigeria began democratic transitions.

Service overview: “Hausa is a West African language spoken by over 60 million people in the region — primarily in Nigeria, Ghana and Niger and also in Cameroon, Chad, Libya, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Benin. Politically and economically, the targeted countries are vital to U.S. interests, particularly Nigeria, with its sizable population of more than 210 million and its vast oil and gas resources. VOA Hausa offers programming of direct and simulcast broadcasting on shortwave and MW/AM radio. At the same time, the service’s website features live and on-demand audio broadcasts and two digital weekly features, including an Americana-focused one.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China’s media operations: China Radio International broadcasts in Hausa and its Facebook page has 1.7 million followers. The Chinese embassy in Nigeria frequently reaches out to editors at major news outlets about news content and appears to pay journalists not to cover negative stories about China, according to a 2022 report by Freedom House.

Languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna

Target area: Ethiopia and Eritrea

First broadcast: Amharic: 1982; Tigrigna and Afan Oromo: 1996
1982 is a year of conflict for the region with Ethiopia invading Somalia in an attempt to overthrow Somali President Siad Barre, who repels the invasion with the help of U.S. military assistance. Instability persists in the next decade with a civil war in Somalia, the outbreak of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea and growing Islamic extremism in neighboring Sudan.

Service overview: “The Horn of Africa Service broadcasts to Ethiopia and Eritrea in three languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo and Tigrigna. Amharic programming is meant for more than 130 million people living in Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as diaspora communities throughout the world. Afan Oromo is directed at an estimated 40% of Ethiopians living in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, in the northern parts of Kenya, and the diaspora. Tigrigna is heard throughout the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia and in Eritrea. Digital and mobile platforms are also available on the web. The Horn of Africa Service broadcasts local, regional, U.S. and international news, as well as an array of programming about Ethiopian, Eritrean and American cultures, politics, current affairs, economics, health, education and entertainment.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China and Russia’s media operations: Russian state media outlets are increasingly expanding their presence in the region. Sputnik opened an editorial center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2025 and began broadcasting in Amharic. Russia’s TASS news agency has also been working on opening an office in Ethiopia by 2026.

China's influence in Ethiopia includes helping the government to build and maintain communications technology systems that are used for domestic surveillance and censorship, according to a 2023 State Department report.

Languages: Kirundi and Kinyarwanda

Target area: Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Uganda and Northwest Tanzania

First broadcast: 1996
VOA began broadcasting to Central Africa two years after the end of the Rwandan genocide and months before the start of the First Congo War. That war, along with the more devastating Second Congo War, killed millions, and while the war officially ended in 2003, regional instability and fighting persist today.

Service overview: “VOA Kirundi/Kinyarwanda is a balancing medium in a region with historical ethnic and political strife that sets standards of impartial and comprehensive reporting, addresses misinformation and disinformation, engages in solutions journalism, promotes democratic values, and fosters civil dialogue and reconciliation between political stakeholders.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

Russia’s media operations: Russia’s Tass news plans to open its first office in Central Africa, in the DRC, by 2026. The region recently saw more than 20 disinformation campaigns, according to a 2024 report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, with two-thirds of them carried out by Kremlin-linked actors.

A 2024 State Department report detailed atrocities in Africa committed by the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company. It said Russian disinformation falsely portrays the group as playing a positive role in nations such as the Central African Republic, with the disinformation campaigns describing Wagner forces as having “saved” CAR and having strengthened “peace and stability” in the country.

Languages: Shona, Ndebele and English

Target area: Zimbabwe. Its Studio 7 program also reached audiences in South Africa, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana and Zambia.

First broadcast: 2003
When VOA began broadcasting to Zimbabwe in 2003, the country was ruled by longtime leader Robert Mugabe and was dealing with the effects of his campaign to seize the land of thousands of white farmers and redistribute it to Blacks, often his political allies. Zimbabwe was facing food shortages and one of the world’s highest inflation rates.

Service overview: “VOA’s Zimbabwe Service broadcasts to Zimbabwe through various delivery methods and in three languages. Since its launch in 2003, the service has continued to be an important source of independent information in a country where one party has ruled since 1980 and where the media space is restricted to the government-owned or sponsored outlets. VOA Zimbabwe has also evolved to include multimedia publishing and broadcasting on various digital channels such as its own website, YouTube, Facebook, X, WhatsApp and Instagram.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China's media operations: Zimbabwe’s government controls most of the country’s media outlets and those outlets are often highly supportive of China. The cooperation between the two countries on the media front is used to benefit both governments. Zimbabwe’s state media uses its power to promote Chinese political and business propaganda, while Chinese disinformation campaigns are picked up in the media and used by Zimbabwe’s government to create a pretext to crack down on journalists and civil society to further its hold on the country.

Language: Somali

Target area: Somalia and neighboring countries

First broadcast: 1992-1994, then again from 2007-2025
The early 90s saw civil strife, famine and UN intervention in Somalia. A pivotal year came in 2007 with Ethiopian troops in Somalia ousting the Islamic Courts Union, the U.S. carrying out airstrikes against suspected al-Qaida members and the rise of the al-Shabab extremist group.

Service overview: “VOA Somali reaches Somalia and neighboring countries on AM, FM, shortwave, the internet and digital platforms. A team of Somali broadcasters based in Washington, D.C., along with freelance reporters in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa and the world, provides news to a country with a federal government fighting the terrorist group al-Shabab.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

China's media operations: China and Somalia signed an agreement in 2021 for China to modernize media institutions in the country, including repairing and equipping Radio Mogadishu and the Somali National News Agency. China has recently been further strengthening its ties with Somalia as it seeks to counter cooperation between the breakaway province of Somaliland and Taiwan. The two regions signed a maritime agreement in July 2025, drawing China’s ire. China has engaged in disinformation campaigns to delegitimize Somaliland’s democratic government and is increasingly spreading narratives across Africa with the aim of convincing countries not to openly recognize Somaliland.

Language: Bambara

Target area: Mali

First broadcast: 2013 as part of the French Service; then in 2021 it became a separate language service
2013 is the year that French-led forces launched an operation at the Malian government’s request to stop an Islamist advance towards the capital. However, less than a decade later, Mali formally expelled all French troops from the country.

Service overview: “VOA’s Bambara Service to Mali produces a mix of news and interactive programming for radio and the internet. VOA Bambara programming airs through local FM transmitters in the three main cities: Bamako, Gao and Timbuktu. Its programs are also carried by a dozen affiliates in Mali and Burkina Faso. The service is one of the main sources of independent and reliable news for millions in the country, especially its northern parts, which Tuareg separatists and Islamist groups largely control.”
— The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy’s 2024 annual report

Russia’s media operations: Mali is one of the most targeted African countries for disinformation campaigns, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. The country saw 12 such recent campaigns, according to the group’s 2024 report, with more than half of them carried out by Russia. The group said “Russia has inundated the Sahel with disinformation” and said Russian networks have helped “prime and promote” recent coups in the region, including in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company, has been active in Mali since its deployment there in 2021. Russian officials, Russian state-funded media and Kremlin-linked Telegram channels continuously promote the group’s “positive” role in the country, according to a 2024 State Department report. After Russia, the military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso are the second largest sponsors of disinformation in West Africa, according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.