A different red, white and blue striped flag has appeared during recent demonstrations in francophone West African capitals: Russia's.
Driving the news: That scene played out most recently during Burkina Faso’s Sept. 30 coup. Protesters attacked the French embassy and a French cultural center amid rumors that France was harboring the ousted president or planning to intervene militarily. That was all disinformation, French officials say. They point the finger at Russia.