Disinformation campaigns targeting Africa’s critical minerals sector reached nearly 300 million users across six countries, according to a report released on Monday.
London-based Refute, an AI-powered intelligence platform, said Monday it identified 2,778 bot accounts responsible for more than 22 million engagements across 21 mining sites in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Mali, Rwanda, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.
The findings, published in the Africa Decoded report, show how small, coordinated networks can generate outsized influence by amplifying narratives tied to geopolitical developments and market-moving events.
Refute found bot activity closely tracks real-world triggers, including regulatory decisions, armed conflict and shifts in commodity markets. Spikes included a 114% increase in Mali after the junta revoked more than 90 foreign exploration permits in October 2025, and a 417% jump in early 2026 as Barrick Mining (TSX: ABX) (NYSE: B) restarted production at the Loulo-Gounkoto complex. Gold-related narratives drew the highest activity overall, with 351 bot accounts engaging during periods of rising prices.
Quick spread
“Africa’s critical minerals are at the centre of the most consequential geopolitical contest of our time,” Refute CEO Tom Garnett said. “The bot activity we track in the mining sector maps to commodity price spikes, regulatory decisions, and corporate disputes with disturbing precision.”
The report also highlights how disinformation campaigns cross borders rapidly, repurposing real incidents to influence opinion elsewhere. After a tailings dam collapse at a Chinese-owned copper mine in Zambia in February 2025, Refute detected a coordinated bot network operating out of Kenya that reframed the event to stir opposition to Chinese investment in another country within days.
Africa holds about 30% of global mineral reserves critical to the energy transition, placing the sector at the centre of competition among the US, China and Russia. Refute said its findings underscore growing operational and reputational risks for mining companies, as influence campaigns become more targeted, responsive and difficult to detect without advanced monitoring tools.
