How pro-AES accounts attempted to fabricate a French soldier’s death in Mali

Between July 4 and 9, Malian forces, with support from African elements of the Russian corps, engaged in intense combat against terrorist groups in the Anéfis region. The clash sparked a wave of disinformation targeting the French military, despite France’s withdrawal from Mali in August 2022. False narratives sought to falsely implicate a French soldier in collaboration with rebels from the Azawad Liberation Front and the Support Group for Islam and Muslims.

False claims began circulating quietly in the aftermath of the fiercest fighting in Anéfis. On July 9, a deceptive post was detected on X (formerly Twitter). Its author attempted to twist the narrative surrounding the reported death of a French soldier during exercises on July 7. This Russian-born legionnaire died accidentally during maneuvers in the Alps. The French high command had publicly honored Sergeant Pena’s service. Yet pro-AES accounts retorted with insinuations: “Other hypotheses circulate, including a possible death in Anéfis, Mali.”

Not a French soldier, but a Wagner mercenary

The deception escalated the following day with the publication of a photo allegedly depicting the death of this French soldier. The image showed a white soldier lying in the sand, bearing a resemblance to the French legionnaire who had died in an accident, whose official portrait had been released by the French military. Manipulators exploited the soldier’s Russian origins and the physical resemblance to sow confusion among the public.

Upon examining the grim images from the desert with Sahel specialists, references were made to footage captured after the Tinzaouatène battle, which took place two years ago in northern Mali. Reverse image searches revealed the same photo of the body, but in higher resolution, showing the same individual lying in the sand. This time, he was identified as a Russian mercenary. Verification proved impossible due to the image’s origin from an anonymous forum where anyone can post unverified content without revealing their identity.

Videos dating back to 2024

Analysis of a six-minute propaganda video released in 2025 by the Azawad Liberation Front to mark the first anniversary of the battle uncovered the same image of the body, alongside the remains of other Russian fighters. The footage is graphic, with blurred captures, but the arrangement of the bodies, the camouflage patterns on the soldiers’ uniforms, facial features, and haircuts align perfectly.

This disinformation is based on an image taken out of context: an archived photo showing Wagner elements killed in Tinzaouatène in 2024, not a supposed French soldier found in Anéfis in 2026.

A flawed disinformation campaign that failed to gain traction

The narrative accusing French troops of collaborating with terrorists is not new. However, this particular disinformation effort remained confined to accounts known for spreading Sahelian propaganda. At this stage, it saw limited amplification. Many users in the comments denounced the manipulation attempt. This may signal that the narrative is losing its impact after years of repetition.

At this point, the platform has recorded fewer than 50,000 views of the misleading content. Nevertheless, the attempt represents an identity theft of a French soldier who died in the line of duty and an affront to his memory.