A Centrafrican journalist’s fight for asylum after exposing Wagner’s influence
Centrafrican journalist Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo has been denied asylum in France, despite previously receiving a safe passage granted by Emmanuel Macron. His revelations about the Wagner Group’s activities in the Central African Republic exposed a propaganda network, putting his life at risk.
A legal team has branded the denial a “deeply concerning signal” to those opposing Russian disinformation campaigns. Since 2024, Yalike-Ngonzo had lived in France under temporary protection after exposing how the Wagner Group, alongside Russian operatives, orchestrated misinformation campaigns in the Central African Republic. His disclosures led to sanctions against a key architect of Moscow’s propaganda efforts in the region.
A life under threat
Approached in late 2019 while working for multiple news outlets, Yalike-Ngonzo was paid between €15 and €30 per article—nearly a quarter of his monthly salary—each time he published content favorable to the Central African armed forces and their Russian allies. His decision to come forward in 2024 within the framework of an international investigation forced him into hiding after receiving death threats from Wagner operatives. His family, still in the Central African Republic, faces constant pressure, with authorities repeatedly demanding they disclose his whereabouts.
On July 9, a formal appeal was filed with the French National Asylum Court. A decision is not expected for at least a year, leaving Yalike-Ngonzo and his family in legal limbo. For now, they remain in hiding in France, awaiting the outcome of a process that could redefine the boundaries of whistleblower protection in Europe.
