This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
Facebook has taken action against Russian interference in African politics, suspending three networks of Russian accounts that targeted eight countries on the continent.
The networks, which amassed over 1 million followers, were tied to Russian businessman Yevgeniy Prigozhin, a financier accused of meddling in past US elections.
According to Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook's head of cyber security policy, the Russian-run networks worked with local citizens in some African countries to better disguise their origins and target internet users.
"There's sort of a joining of forces, if you will, between local actors and actors from Russia," Gleicher told Reuters on November 2, 2019.
Prigozhin and his lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest Facebook accusations.
