Paris:France's foreign minister announced plans on Tuesday to pursue European Union sanctions against those responsible for an alleged Russian interference operation targeting African nations, including Cameroon and the Republic of Congo.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, Jean-Noel Barrot accused Russia of attempting to manipulate public opinion in sovereign countries to damage French interests. He stated that Viginum, France's agency tasked with detecting foreign digital interference, had documented the operation in a report released that day.

Barrot indicated his intention to request European sanctions against those accountable for the interference, which he noted specifically targeted Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. However, he did not specify the individuals or entities that would be targeted by the proposed sanctions.

Barrot further commented that "Russia is desperately trying to colonize minds, but it will fail because we are not fooled." Viginum, established in 2021, focuses on monitoring and protecting against foreign digital interference.

In a separate report published in 2025, Viginum, the EU's diplomatic service, and the UK Foreign Office examined the activities of African Initiative, a Russian news agency they claimed was involved in influence operations on the African continent.