Niger coup: Fact-checking misinformation spreading online

In the aftermath of the coup successful Niger, mendacious claims and misinformation are being shared online, adding to the tensions implicit the country's future.

We person looked into immoderate of the wide shared claims.

Wagner forces person been progressive successful different African countries specified arsenic neighbouring Mali and the Central African Republic.

However, a video of a Russian subject level supposedly landing successful Niamey, the superior of Niger, has been circulating - on with speculation that "Wagner forces person already begun to participate the city".

The level successful the video does lucifer an IL 76 Russian subject aircraft, but the footage is old.

BBC Verify carried retired a hunt for erstwhile versions of this video disposable online and recovered that it was posted connected YouTube successful 2006, and successful information shows the level landing successful the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

The buildings seen successful the video lucifer those which situation Khartoum International Airport.

Another video - viewed much than 500,000 times connected TikTok - wrongly presents aged footage of Wagner fighters successful Africa arsenic the archetypal ocular confirmation of their beingness successful Niger.

It comes from a quality report, broadcast by the France 24 quality transmission successful January past year, talking astir Wagner's beingness successful Mali alternatively than Niger.

The video circulating connected TikTok has seemingly been edited to get escaped of some on-screen captions referring to Mali and references to the state successful the study itself.

Elsewhere, an aged photograph of Wagner fighters successful Ukraine has been shared alongside claims that the radical was readying to nonstop its fighters to Niger.

However, nary specified announcement has been posted successful Wagner-affiliated groups connected Telegram truthful far.

Another mendacious assertion circulating online pursuing the coup suggested the caller subject leaders had "with contiguous effect, banned the export of uranium to France".

Niger is simply a erstwhile French colony and France inactive has power successful the country.

Some posts, similar the 1 above, see mostly close figures astir uranium exports to France and the European Union, but determination is nary grounds the junta issued a prohibition connected uranium exports to France erstwhile they took over.

The French institution progressive successful mining uranium successful Niger, Orano Group, said that its activities had continued astatine the Arlit and Akokan sites and astatine its office successful Niamey pursuing the coup.

As immoderate European countries began evacuating their citizens pursuing the coup, an unfounded assertion started circulating that the junta had ordered the service to detain Europeans.

It alleged this was done to get Western countries to retreat their forces from Niger.

The assertion seems to beryllium based connected a telephone by the M62 movement, which is simply a pro-junta and anti-French group, for European nationals to beryllium held hostage until overseas forces leave.

The group, however, does not correspond the junta.

Coup person General Abdourahamane Tchiani said past week that French nationals had thing to fearfulness and "have ne'er been the entity of the slightest threat".

Niger presently hosts detachments of some French and US subject personnel, and these forces are inactive there.

Claims person besides emerged astir neighbouring Algeria, speculating that it would enactment Niger's subject authorities successful the lawsuit of immoderate overseas intervention.

"Algeria volition not beryllium idly by portion an penetration of a neighbouring state takes place," 1 Twitter station said, attributing this to "Algerian quality outlets".

The West African determination bloc, Ecowas, has threatened to intervene (including perchance militarily) if the deposed president is not restored to power.

However, Mali and Burkina Faso - Ecowas members led by subject leaders - said they would broadside with the junta successful the lawsuit of immoderate extracurricular intervention.

Algeria has said it is opposed to subject intervention, but importantly, it has not said it would backmost Niger's coup leaders should an extracurricular involution instrumentality place.

Some of the posts claiming Algeria would backmost Niger against overseas involution mentioned an relationship called Intel Kirby arsenic the root for their claims.

We checked this relationship connected Twitter. It did post connected 30 July that "Algeria volition not beryllium idly portion a neighbouring state is being invaded," but made wide this was its ain investigation of what mightiness hap - not a connection of authorities policy.

Additional reporting by Jake Horton and Paul Brown.