The Fake Graphics That Tried to Shape an AU Vote

Introduction

During the 2024–25 campaign to choose a new chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Djibouti’s candidate, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, became the subject of a concentrated wave of fabricated graphics, counterfeit news cards and invented endorsements. Unlike older political rumours spread by word of mouth, these claims were usually packaged as professional-looking images that imitated respected media organisations, government communications or research institutions. Their purpose was not necessarily to convince everyone that a story was true. Rather, they aimed to create an impression of momentum, inevitability or crisis at crucial moments in the election campaign.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckPosts falsely claim Djibouti foreign minister drops out of…24 Jan 2025 — However, the claim is false; the AU has not rec…

The episode is a useful example of a modern political fake. The deception did not depend on forged documents or altered photographs alone. It relied on borrowing the visual authority of trusted institutions and exploiting the fast-moving information environment surrounding one of Africa’s most important leadership contests.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckPosts falsely claim Djibouti foreign minister drops out of…24 Jan 2025 — However, the claim is false; the AU has not rec…

The False Endorsements and Withdrawal Claims

Several of the most widely shared graphics claimed that influential figures or governments had endorsed Youssouf when they had not, or that key rivals had secured support they had never received.

One prominent example appeared in October 2024, when a graphic designed to resemble material from South African broadcaster eNCA circulated online. It attributed a statement to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa suggesting support for Youssouf’s candidacy. Fact-checkers found no evidence that Ramaphosa had made the statement, and the South African presidency publicly labelled the graphic misinformation.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckFake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…17 Oct 2024 — Fake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…

Another recurring theme involved supposed endorsements from senior African Union figures. In November 2024, claims spread that outgoing AUC chair Moussa Faki had endorsed Youssouf. The commission’s spokesperson publicly rejected the claim as fake, noting that no such endorsement had been issued.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckOutgoing African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki…13 Dec 2024 — On 25 November 2024, Ebba Kalondo, spokesperson for the…Published: November 2024

The misinformation campaign was not limited to endorsements. In January 2025, false graphics claimed that Youssouf had withdrawn from the race and thrown his support behind Kenyan candidate Raila Odinga. The story appeared in the form of professional-looking cards resembling genuine news reports. African Union officials stated that no withdrawal notice had been received, while Youssouf himself publicly insisted that he remained a candidate.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckPosts falsely claim Djibouti foreign minister drops out of…24 Jan 2025 — However, the claim is false; the AU has not rec…

As voting approached, fabricated stories became increasingly dramatic. One viral graphic claimed that Youssouf had rejected a huge financial inducement to abandon his campaign. The story suggested secret negotiations and bribery efforts involving the election. Fact-checkers found no evidence for the claim and identified the graphic as fabricated.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgignore fake viral graphic claiming djiboutis mahmoudAfrica CheckIgnore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…28 Jan 2025 — Ignore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…

How Counterfeit News Cards Borrowed Authority

The most striking feature of these election fakes was not their content but their presentation.

Many were built around a familiar formula:

This design strategy exploited a common habit among social-media users. People often evaluate information first through visual cues rather than by tracing a claim back to its original source. A card carrying the branding of a respected broadcaster or newspaper can appear credible even when the underlying story is entirely invented.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckFake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…17 Oct 2024 — Fake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…

The tactic appeared repeatedly during the AUC race. Some graphics copied television networks. Others mimicked newspaper layouts. Still others falsely attached the names of research organisations or policy institutes to polling data that had never been produced. In one notable case, a fabricated poll attributed to the Addis Ababa-based think tank Amani Africa was circulated online. The organisation publicly stated that it had never conducted such a poll and demanded that its logo stop being used in misinformation campaigns.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckIgnore fake Amani Africa poll showing Kenya's Odinga…20 Dec 2024 — The use of an organization that never undertook a poll…

Because the graphics looked professional, many users shared screenshots without checking whether the supposed source had actually published the material.

Why Election Timing Gave the Fabrications Power

The effectiveness of these graphics depended heavily on timing.

The African Union Commission chairperson is elected by member states rather than by a mass public vote. Much of the lobbying therefore occurs behind closed doors, through diplomatic meetings, regional blocs and negotiations that are often difficult for outsiders to observe directly. This creates an information gap that rumours can fill.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2025 African Union Commission Chairperson election2025 African Union Commission Chairperson election

In such an environment, even an implausible claim can gain traction if it appears to reveal secret developments. A false endorsement suggests growing support. A fake withdrawal claim suggests that the race is effectively over. An invented bribery story implies that powerful interests are desperately trying to alter the outcome. Each narrative seeks to shape perceptions about who is winning and who is losing.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgignore fake viral graphic claiming djiboutis mahmoudAfrica CheckIgnore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…28 Jan 2025 — Ignore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…

The period immediately before the February 2025 vote was especially vulnerable. Delegates, journalists and politically engaged audiences were searching for fresh information, making dramatic claims more likely to be shared before verification could catch up. Fact-checkers repeatedly found themselves responding to graphics only after they had already travelled widely across social-media networks.[AFP Fact Check]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckPosts falsely claim Djibouti foreign minister drops out of…24 Jan 2025 — However, the claim is false; the AU has not rec…

The Investigators and the Debunks

The false graphics were challenged through a combination of official statements and independent fact-checking.

African Union officials publicly denied reports of candidate withdrawals and rejected fabricated endorsement claims. National governments and presidential offices also intervened when their names were misused. Media organisations whose branding had been copied issued warnings that the graphics were fake.[afp.com]factcheck.afp.comAFP Fact CheckPosts falsely claim Djibouti foreign minister drops out of…24 Jan 2025 — However, the claim is false; the AU has not rec…

Independent fact-checking organisations, including Africa Check, AFP Fact Check and PesaCheck, played a particularly visible role. Their investigations typically followed the same process:

In multiple cases, this process revealed that no supporting evidence existed and that the graphics had been manufactured solely for online circulation.[africacheck.org]africacheck.orgignore fake viral graphic claiming djiboutis mahmoudAfrica CheckIgnore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…28 Jan 2025 — Ignore fake viral graphic claiming Djibouti's Mahmoud…

What the Episode Reveals About Modern Political Fakes

The fake graphics surrounding Djibouti’s AUC campaign illustrate a broader shift in political deception. Traditional propaganda often required newspapers, radio stations or state-controlled broadcasters. Modern fabrications can be created quickly by individuals or small networks using simple graphic-design tools and distributed instantly through social media.

What made these examples notable was their concentration around a single diplomatic contest. Rather than attacking electoral machinery or fabricating vote totals, the graphics focused on perceptions: endorsements, withdrawals, polling, negotiations and alleged behind-the-scenes manoeuvres. Their goal was to manufacture the appearance of political momentum.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckIgnore fake Amani Africa poll showing Kenya's Odinga…20 Dec 2024 — The use of an organization that never undertook a poll…

For Djibouti’s place in the wider history of modern hoaxes and misinformation, the episode stands as a clear example of how authority can be counterfeited visually. The deception was not hidden in forged signatures or elaborate conspiracy theories. It was embedded in apparently trustworthy graphics that borrowed the appearance of legitimacy and attempted to influence how observers interpreted a closely watched African Union election.[Africa Check]africacheck.orgAfrica CheckFake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…17 Oct 2024 — Fake graphic: South African president Cyril Ramaphosa…

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Endnotes

1. Source: factcheck.afp.com
Link:https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.36VR9VX

2. Source: Wikipedia
Title: 2025 African Union Commission Chairperson election
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_African_Union_Commission_Chairperson_election

3. Source: pesacheck.org
Link:https://pesacheck.org/false-uganda-has-not-endorsed-djiboutis-minister-for-au-commission-chairperson-seat/

4. Source: africacheck.org
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/fake-graphic-south-african-president-cyril-ramaphosa-didnt

5. Source: africacheck.org
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/ignore-fake-amani-africa-poll-showing-kenyas-odinga-leading

6. Source: africacheck.org
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/outgoing-african-union-commission-chair-moussa-faki-has-not

Published: November 2024

7. Source: africacheck.org
Title: ignore fake viral graphic claiming djiboutis mahmoud
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/ignore-fake-viral-graphic-claiming-djiboutis-mahmoud

8. Source: africacheck.org
Link:https://www.africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/no-au-commission-chair-elections-have-not-been-held-and

9. Source: africacheck.org
Title: ignore fake graphic linking kenyan political party official
Link:https://africacheck.org/fact-checks/meta-programme-fact-checks/ignore-fake-graphic-linking-kenyan-political-party-official

Additional References

10. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGErl6yFuAc

11. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvpnu-F9sI

Published: May 2024

12. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/LPfootsoldier/posts/a-while-ago-we-placed-a-call-to-dw-africa-informing-them-that-the-content-of-the/6678128912271438/

13. Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/Mofa.Japan.en/posts/press-secretary-kitamura-toshihiro-issued-the-following-statement-on-the-preside/1445227687637992/

14. Source: youtube.com
Title: Fact-checked #AUEU25
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIMWTrD580A

15. Source: facebook.com
Title: djibouti dismisses reports of mahmoud ali youssouf dropping his african union co
Link:https://www.facebook.com/colettaaludatv/posts/djibouti-dismisses-reports-of-mahmoud-ali-youssouf-dropping-his-african-union-co/614146431314810/

16. Source: facebook.com
Title: djiboutian foreign minister and auc candidate refutes in arabic claims of withdr
Link:https://www.facebook.com/rop.kiptoo.58/posts/djiboutian-foreign-minister-and-auc-candidate-refutes-in-arabic-claims-of-withdr/1831239907705769/

17. Source: facebook.com
Title: djiboutis candidate asserts that they remain in the race dismissing new allegati
Link:https://www.facebook.com/Westfmradio/posts/djiboutis-candidate-asserts-that-they-remain-in-the-race-dismissing-new-allegati/607076548914369/

18. Source: facebook.com
Title: i am still in the race djiboutis candidate rejects fresh auc withdrawal claims
Link:https://www.facebook.com/isaiah.cheruiyot.9440/posts/i-am-still-in-the-race-djiboutis-candidate-rejects-fresh-auc-withdrawal-claims/1350865572593058/

19. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjjG9TJwLM8