Russian media outlets are carriers of an alternative vision of the world that goes against Western interests, which explains the censorship put in place against them, Egountchi Behanzin, president of the African Black Defense League, told Sputnik Africa.
The censorship affecting Russian media outlets on social networks like Facebook*, Instagram* and even TikTok is "extremely serious," he added. This censorship particularly serves Western ideological and geopolitical interests.
"Today, populations are controlled; we want to have control of opinion with a single piece of information, which directly suits Washington's affairs. By censoring Russian media, they are trying to eliminate any competition, any informative alternative that could erode their power and influence, which is declining in the United States and around the world, especially in Africa," he explained.
Western influence is felt even in Chinese media, which explains why TikTok was able to censor Sputnik's accounts by "giving in to pressure," the activist continued.
Setting Up Alternative Media
To get around this Western censorship, Behanzin called for the creation of new social platforms and to give more visibility to small media.
"It is urgent to bring together the players in the world of journalism who will be able to put in place, as Russia is already doing, an alternative solution. By creating other media and platforms or by promoting existing applications, such as VK, where there is no censorship, or also Telegram," he concluded.
*Meta and its products Instagram and Facebook are banned in Russia over extremist activities