A spokesman of the Ivorian government has denied reports that a meeting was held in the country by the Azawad movement.
Amadou Coulibaly was on Wednesday denying reports of an Azawad office in Ivory Coast, stating that the images circulating on social media had not been authenticated by government services.
“With images, anything is possible today, and with generative artificial intelligence, anything can be created, including deepfakes,” Amadou Coulibaly declared, adding that security services had found no evidence to confirm the presence of an Azawad office in Ivory Coast.
Coulibaly, the Minister of Communication, also pointed out that the drinks visible on the table in the video could have come from Ivorian companies that export their products, which does not constitute proof of the scene’s Ivorian origin.
The video in question, which shows people allegedly members of Azawad in a meeting, has sparked reactions and generated a great deal of discussion on social media.
Ivory Coast is facing a surge in misinformation, and the government has implemented strategies to counter this threat, including public awareness campaigns and legal action against those responsible.
AP/Sf/fss/as/APA