A sophisticated network of bot-like social media accounts and Congolese media outlets has been pushing a misleading narrative designed to sanitize the image of sanctioned mining tycoon Dan Gertler. The campaign, uncovered by Global Witness, represents yet another chapter in the long battle over who controls not only the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s resources but also the narrative surrounding corruption in the mining sector.

Gertler-long accused by the US Treasury of siphoning off hundreds of millions from Congo’s mineral wealth through opaque deals-remains under sanctions imposed in 2017. Yet the new digital effort seeks to convince Congolese citizens that he has been fully exonerated of wrongdoing, using selective interpretations of a private Israeli arbitration to suggest that the US sanctions are unjust, outdated, or economically harmful.

The operation is remarkable not simply for its brazenness, but for the meticulous coordination underpinning it: nearly identical articles published across Congolese news sites, and dozens of “bot-like” X accounts pushing the same talking points in unison. The campaign demonstrates how actors with the resources to manipulate online ecosystems can attempt to reshape public perception-especially in countries where digital literacy barriers and media vulnerabilities remain acute.

The US Treasury’s 2017 justification for sanctioning Gertler was stark. The mining billionaire, it said, used “hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of opaque and corrupt mining and oil deals” facilitated by his close relationship with then-president Joseph Kabila. According to Treasury estimates, Congo lost more than $1.36 billion in revenue due to underpriced mining assets linked to Gertler’s network. Civil society groups argued the figure could be nearly triple that amount if the government failed to renegotiate agreements.

The sanctions were intended not only as punishment but as leverage for reform. For years, Congolese activists and international watchdogs insisted that the web of companies connected to the tycoon operated like a shadow economy enriching a small elite while robbing the Congolese public of revenue from cobalt, copper, and other minerals essential to the global green-tech boom.

The arrival of Félix Tshisekedi in 2019 brought new negotiations. His administration........

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