Israel is said to have offered its cyber espionage services to several presidents for support when trying to obtain observer status at the African Union.
On September 7, the Togolese information portal iciLomé deplored, more than a year later the Pegasus affair involving, among others, the Togolese government, the “radio silence” of the presidency, and this “despite the folklore of the summit on cybersecurity”. Last March, in fact, Lomé organized a summit devoted to cybersecurity "to camouflage this unorthodox and therefore unsavory practice", recalls the local newspaper which indicates that, at the end of this summit, a declaration signed by Faure Gnassingbé provided " the establishment of national operational structures in terms of cybersecurity, paving the way for active cooperation with African countries and with all players in the digital ecosystem”.
A few kilometers west of Lomé, Ghanaian opponents and civil society are also confronted with the use of Pegasus. The spyware was allegedly first purchased in 2016 by the President's government John Mahama. It was not until last summer that the people of the country revolted against the eavesdropping on the part of the authorities. Since June, in fact, mobilizations have been regularly organized.
And beyond the demonstrations in the streets of Accra, civil society is asking the Ghanaian regime for answers. Member of the collective Arise Ghana, Bernard Mornah, behind the mobilization, says he is asking for a parliamentary inquiry into the use of Pegasus in Ghana. Oliver Barker-Vormawor, another activist, wants to go further: his movement, #FixtheCountry, is also calling for an investigation into the use of Pegasus and is threatening to file an appeal with the country's Supreme Court.
NGOs want explanations
Since the revelations about the Pegasus affair, all African activists are demanding accountability from their leaders. Behind them, a pan-African movement supports them: Africans Rising, which "works for peace, justice and dignity", assures that it does not want to "put direct pressure on governments using Pegasus" but admits that its mission "consists mainly of supporting protest movements directly. Africans Rising “calls on Africans to rise up, in solidarity”. The NGO Access Now denounces "abuse" in the use of spyware and recalls that NSO Group holds its customers responsible for their actions, if these are criminal.
Other organizations are also concerned about the situation, such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), whose Africa coordinator, Angela Quintal, assures that "there is a crying need for increased transparency and accountability regarding the sale of Pegasus spyware used to target journalists”.
If the use of Pegasus by Togo did not surprise anyone, the revelations concerning Ghana are more surprising. “This acquisition by a country often seen as a model in Africa confirms that Israel's cyber weapons and surveillance industry is closely linked to Tel Aviv's diplomacy and its normalization program in Africa, from Togo to Morocco. writes Africa XXI.
A diplomacy that does not hesitate to circumvent national laws. As the online magazine recalls, in May 2020, the Accra High Court of Justice ruled that the purchase of Pegasus was "illegal". Since the revelations on this case, NSO ensures that the spyware is no longer used in Ghana.
And to those who believe that NSO is a private company, cut off from politics, no one is fooled: "In Israel, the silence on Pegasus is almost total and it comes from the government and the ministries of defense and foreign affairs" , says Eitay Mack. Mr Mack. Israeli sources confirm: "NSO sells its software to governments but, ultimately, it is always Israel which gives its approval or not before Pegasus is delivered". Thus, Burkina Faso was ready, a few years ago, to equip itself with spyware. But the Israeli authorities had refused to sell Pegasus to Ouagadougou. Same for Chad.
A political tool?
Pegasus is therefore an extraordinary diplomatic tool. Afrique XXI assures that “spyware may also have played a role in Israel obtaining observer status with the African Union (AU), a position it has coveted for nearly two decades”. Admittedly, after receiving accreditation from the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the decision is now pending. But what was the role of NSO?
Journalist Suraya Dadoo assures that several presidents or heads of government have exchanged their support for Israel's candidacy for the post of observer for military, surveillance and intelligence assistance. Among these countries, Ghana, therefore. But also Togo and Morocco, whose use of Pegasus is proven. For other countries, the question arises: Rwanda, Ivory Coast or even Kenya.
Still, the “Pegasus against diplomatic support” deal could have been contractualized well before this episode. Indeed, we remember that in 2017, Togo was the only country to vote against the resolution condemning Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, at the United Nations. Already at the time, the power in place seemed to have Pegasus, which is much more than spyware. A real diplomatic weapon.