Wagner's disinformation network in Africa: France denies asylum to whistleblower

Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo, a former participant in Russia's disinformation campaign in the Central African Republic who later became a whistleblower, provided testimony that helped expose the operations of the Wagner-linked disinformation network across Africa. Journalist Lea Perruchon of Forbidden Stories, who investigated the case, said his account was pivotal to uncovering the network.

Yalike-Ngonzo and his family were evacuated from imminent danger in an intervention reportedly supported by the French presidency. French authorities subsequently changed course and rejected his asylum application.

Perruchon framed the case as more than an individual immigration dispute, describing it as a broader test of democratic states' willingness to protect whistleblowers who expose foreign disinformation operations. French authorities have not publicly detailed the reasoning behind the rejection.