The asylum request of Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo, a Central African journalist who exposed the propaganda system of the Wagner group in the Central African Republic (CAR), has been rejected by the French authorities. The Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) announced on Thursday, July 9, that they have filed an appeal against this decision, which they consider contrary to France’s commitments.
According to PPLAAF, Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo was allowed to come to France in 2024 after an intervention by President Emmanuel Macron, as he faced threats in the Central African Republic. The rejection of his asylum request would now place him in a situation of great vulnerability, according to the organization.
As a journalist in the CAR, Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo participated in the international investigation conducted by Forbidden Stories and its partners on Russian influence operations in Africa. His testimony helped document the functioning of a communication network attributed to the Wagner group in the Central African Republic. These investigations, covered by over 200 media outlets, led the European Union to sanction Mikhail Prudnikov in May 2025, who was identified as responsible for Russian communication operations in the country.
Between 2019 and 2022, Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo claims to have participated, under the direction of a man known as “Micha,” identified in the investigation as Mikhail Prudnikov, in the dissemination of content favorable to the Central...
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