An Anthropic report indicates that the AI model Claude was utilized in pro-Russian campaigns in the Central African Republic (CAR), with similar allegations made regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Sudan, and Mali. The report, titled "Detecting and Countering Misuse of AI," published by the US-based company Anthropic in September, details how Russian agents in Bangui, the capital of CAR, allegedly used Claude to promote pro-Russian influence, monitor opposition politicians, create propaganda content, and support disinformation campaigns.
According to the report, Claude was primarily used to produce content broadcast by Radio Lengo Songo, a radio station reportedly funded by Russia, as stated by the international investigative collective All Eyes on Wagner. This collective investigates the activities of the Russian mercenary group Wagner Group and its successor structures, such as the Africa Corps. The report claims that the content produced was pro-Russian, portraying the Central African government and the Africa Corps in a positive light while criticizing France and the opposition.
Lou Osborn, a member of All Eyes on Wagner, contributed to the research for the report and noted that these methods align with practices observed in connection with the Wagner Group in CAR. He mentioned that there have been arrests of individuals not closely affiliated with the Touadera regime, which has been in power since 2016. Osborn added that these arrests were subject to online campaigns that depicted those individuals as proxies for France or as potential coup plotters against President Faustin-Archange Touadera.
The report also indicated that Claude was prompted to portray opposition figures as armed militants to provoke security forces against them, although Claude reportedly refused this request. The report did not disclose the names of the monitored opposition figures, the nature of the data collected, or the recipients of the data.
For opposition leaders, the Anthropic report highlighted the government's determination to eliminate them. Martin Ziguele, chairman of the Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People, referenced previous instances since 2020 when media outlets attempted to link opposition leaders to rebel groups. He noted that there were also attacks against the opposition alleging foreign payments and an attempt to pass a law regarding foreign agents in the country, all related to the Wagner Group's activities.
DW sought a statement from Russia regarding the allegations. Dmitri Sytyi, a representative of the Russian mission in CAR, acknowledged hearing about the report but stated that it lacked concrete facts and was filled with vague allegations.
The report suggests that the situation in CAR is not unique. In the DRC, Anthropic identified 318 articles published by a network of approximately 70 fake news sites, distributed by over 250 fictitious accounts on X, which supported the Congolese government amid its conflict with Rwanda. In Kenya, Claude was reportedly used to generate batches of 50 messages at a time that favored the government and were hostile toward the opposition. In Sudan, AI was allegedly used to create fabricated witness statements for the United Nations, attributed to individuals in the United Arab Emirates. In Mali, an adviser with intelligence ties reportedly used Claude to develop a telecommunications monitoring platform targeting 25 million SIM cards without judicial authorization.
Anthropic stated that it uncovered and shut down these operations between December 2025 and August 2026 by deleting involved accounts and enhancing its detection systems.