A video circulating on TikTok, supposedly showing French President Emmanuel Macron asking for pardon to the citizens of the Sahel States Alliance (AES) nations, has been found to be manipulated. The video, dated October 21, 2026, is taken from a BFMTV clip and overlaid with the official emblem of the Sahel States Alliance. In the footage, a voice attributed to Macron says, "People of AES, don't throw stones at me. See me as a friend, your own brother who asks for your pardon."
The Sahel States Alliance, comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has experienced strained diplomatic and security relations with France since the advent of transitional regimes in these nations. The AES authorities have initiated a strategic rupture with France, marked by the denunciation of military agreements, the withdrawal of French troops, and the concerted departure from the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). This dynamic has led to the official establishment of the Sahel States Alliance, based on the principles of reinforced sovereignty and regional integration.
France has also faced internal social tensions and contestation. The French government managed public order disturbances in mid-October 2026, leading to localized curfews in several municipalities to prevent the resurgence of urban violence. Meanwhile, an analysis of the manipulated video reveals a robotic tone and a clear mismatch between the sound and the speaker's lip movements.
To verify the authenticity of the audio message, PesaCheck submitted the recording to the specialized tool Hive Moderation, which determined that the audio was generated by artificial intelligence with a 99.3% probability. Furthermore, a reverse image search on Yandex shows that the visual support was diverted from an authentic press excerpt. The images originate from a short-format BFMTV video published on October 21, 2026.
In the original sequence, President Macron exclusively discussed the convocation of an emergency meeting with his ministers and intelligence services following the urban violence that occurred on October 17 and 18 in France, without making any reference to AES nations or a request for pardon. PesaCheck's findings confirm that the video in question is manipulated and part of a continuous verification effort.
The manipulated video has been shared on social media platforms, potentially fueling tensions between France and AES nations. PesaCheck urges users to verify information through reputable sources to avoid spreading misinformation. The fact-checking organization will continue to monitor and debunk false information.
Key points
- A manipulated video on TikTok falsely claims French President Emmanuel Macron asked pardon to the Sahel States Alliance (AES) citizens.
- The video was generated using artificial intelligence and diverted from an authentic BFMTV press excerpt.
- The original BFMTV video showed Macron discussing France's internal issues, not AES nations or a request for pardon.
