French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecorne on Sunday condemned the depiction of French soldiers in Marvel’s blockbuster film “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which describes them as resource looters, a reaction that is part of the context of information warfare. in Africa, reports AFP.

Minister of Defense of France Sebastien LecornuPhoto: Romain GAILLARD-POOL / Sipa Press / Profimedia

“I strongly condemn this false and misleading representation of our armed forces,” Lecornu wrote on Twitter. “I think and pay tribute to the 58 French soldiers who died defending Mali at his request from Islamist terrorist groups.”

Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, released in France in late 2022, shows captured French soldiers kneeling before the queen of Wakanda, a fictional kingdom, wearing clothing similar to that of French soldiers stationed in Mali before August this year. The French minister must also answer for his actions before the UN.

Sébastien Lecornu’s entourage points to the “fury of a minister watching a movie”, while France regularly accuses Russia of waging an information war against it, manipulating public opinion about its actions in the region.

The Ministry recognizes the freedom of the “artistic work”, in respect of which France claims neither seizure nor censorship.

On the other hand, “there can be no revision of the recent actions of France in Mali: we intervened at the country’s request to fight against armed terrorist groups, far from the story described in the film, namely the French army coming to rob them.” natural resources”.

“The minister’s role is to defend the results of operations Serwal and Barkhan, carried out in 2013 and 2014 respectively at the request of Bamako to fight jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.”

A double coup d’état in Mali in 2020 and 2021 ended the operation. The last French soldier left the country at the end of August. Since then, relations between Paris and Bamako have been frozen, which Paris says has allowed Wagner’s Russian paramilitary group to send mercenaries there.

The minister’s reaction is also part of Paris’ desire to respond “to the narratives of our competitors” in Africa. A direct allusion to the deterioration of France’s image in public opinion in the Sahel, reinforced in particular by Russian propaganda, especially by the galaxy of media connected to the Wagner group.