A recent TikTok video claiming French President Emmanuel Macron offered to become Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara's advisor if he resigned has been found to be manipulated. The video, which has been shared widely, features a voice attributed to Macron suggesting he would take up the role if he were to resign as President of France. However, a thorough examination of the video by PesaCheck, a fact-checking initiative, has revealed that it is a deepfake. The video uses artificial intelligence to generate a speech by Macron, which he never actually made.
PesaCheck's analysis of the video found several red flags indicating that it was generated or modified by artificial intelligence. The movements of Macron's lips do not naturally match the speech, and his facial expressions and mouth contours appear unstable. Additionally, the sharpness of Macron's face, background, and surrounding elements vary abnormally. The video is also edited to include texts such as "Macron resigns" and images of flags that do not correspond to reality. These inconsistencies suggest that the video is not authentic.
Further analysis by PesaCheck using the Sightengine tool estimated that there is an 80% probability that the image was generated by artificial intelligence. The Resemble AI tool also confirmed that the vocal recording attributed to Macron was generated by AI with a 90% probability. These findings confirm that the video is a manipulated deepfake. PesaCheck's investigation also found that the original sequence used to create the deepfake was a video recording of Macron's intervention at a "Coalition of Volunteers" meeting held on September 4, 2025, in support of Ukraine.
The original video, which was recorded at a summit relayed by media outlets such as CNews and Wiadomości, shows Macron discussing European security issues and making no mention of resignation or Côte d'Ivoire. Macron has not resigned as President of France, and official records show that he has continued to carry out presidential duties in October 2026. According to the Élysée website, Macron presided over the Council of Ministers on October 1, 2026, received Argentine President Javier Milei on the same day, and participated in a G7 videoconference on October 2, 2026.
Moreover, Macron attended the Paris Motor Show on October 12, 2026, as President of the Republic, as reported by the Élysée. A Google search with the keywords "Meeting between Alassane and Macron" reveals that the two presidents have had several documented official meetings and exchanges, as reported by Jeune Afrique, L'Opinion, and the Ivorian diplomacy portal. These records confirm that Macron and Ouattara have interacted officially, but there is no evidence to support the claim made in the manipulated video.
PesaCheck has previously debunked false rumors about Macron's resignation. This fact-check is part of PesaCheck's ongoing efforts to verify content marked as potential disinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms. By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, PesaCheck and other third-party fact-checking organizations help to distinguish fact from fiction. The public can also report suspected misinformation on Facebook, and PesaCheck provides information on its methodology for verifying dubious content.
The fact-check was written by Mardochée Boli and edited by Josaphat Finogbé, with approval from PesaCheck's editor-in-chief, Doreen Wainainah. PesaCheck is an initiative co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein, incubated by Code for Africa, the largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator on the continent. PesaCheck aims to help the public separate fact from fiction in public statements about figures that shape our world, with a focus on public finances and service delivery related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Key points
- - The video claiming Macron offered to become Ouattara's advisor is a manipulated deepfake generated using artificial intelligence. - Macron has not resigned as President of France and has continued to carry out presidential duties. - PesaCheck's investigation confirms that the original sequence used to create the deepfake was from a 2025 meeting discussing European security issues.
