It starts with a photograph. A younger Jeffrey Epstein is standing with soldiers in Africa. On its own, it’s striking. But behind it lies something far more disturbing: leaked emails and documents showing Epstein working with former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak to sell a mass surveillance system to Côte d’Ivoire’s government.
This wasn’t just a business deal. The emails suggest Epstein saw instability as an opportunity. He wrote to Barak: “With civil unrest exploding […] and the desperation of those in power, isn’t this perfect for you?” Barak responded: “You’re right [in] a way. But not simple to transform it into a cash flow.”
The conversation reveals a hidden world where private influence and political power meet.
In the early 2010s, Côte d’Ivoire was in turmoil. The country had just faced a crisis after its 2010 presidential election, leaving the new president, Alassane Ouattara, struggling to secure control. According to travel logs, emails, and photographs, Epstein and Barak positioned themselves as the bridge between Israel’s intelligence infrastructure and the Ivorian government.
Between 2013 and 2014, they helped craft a deal that installed a sophisticated phone- and internet-monitoring network in Abidjan, the capital. The system allowed the government to track citizens’ communications, monitor public gatherings, and limit dissent. Once operational, protests were blocked, civic organizations were weakened, and the ruling party tightened its grip on power.
Leaked calendars show Epstein’s movements. On September 12, 2013, he met Nina Keita, an Ivorian model he had known since 2002. The following day, he flew to Africa. Meanwhile, Barak received a detailed proposal from former Israeli intelligence officers outlining the network: listening posts, satellite links, cyber-cafés, and media processing centers.
Epstein was the fixer. He arranged meetings, handled logistics, and created the connections that made the project possible. Even after leaving office, Barak continued negotiations with Ivorian officials on behalf of Israeli security companies. What began as business consulting had become a full-scale export of surveillance technology.
The impact on Côte d’Ivoire was immediate. Independent media outlets were silenced. Civic organizations struggled to operate. Elections faced repeated criticism for being unfair. Opposition leaders were barred from running, and constitutional rules were bent to allow President Ouattara to extend his term well past the age of 80.
Exiled activists say criticism of the government is criminalized. One said: “Under Ouattara, since 2011, freedoms of opinion, thought, and expression have been criminalized. It has become forbidden to criticize the head of state.” The leaked documents show that the surveillance system was a key tool in maintaining this control.
Côte d’Ivoire is not an isolated case. Similar deals in Mongolia and other nations suggest a pattern: targeting governments in need, supplying security contractors, and installing systems that claim to enhance safety but ultimately limit freedom.
Barak’s actions remain controversial. Though out of office since 2013, emails show him actively involved as a private citizen while maintaining ties to Israeli intelligence and business networks. Epstein, whose criminal activities and death have been widely reported, left behind documents that point to a far larger network of influence and power manipulation.
In April 2014, the United Nations lifted an arms embargo on Côte d’Ivoire. That same year, a deal was signed between Israel and the Ivorian government to install the surveillance network. Emails reveal that the technology and tactics were based on methods used by Israel’s elite intelligence unit, Unit 8200.
This was not a standard business contract. It was a transfer of power through technology. Epstein and Barak’s collaboration turned civil unrest into an opportunity for control and profit, creating a system that allowed a government to monitor, suppress, and manipulate its own population.
Unlike typical corruption or arms deals, this story is about control itself: deciding who can be watched and who cannot. Côte d’Ivoire’s surveillance system is more than equipment; it is a mechanism to keep power concentrated. Epstein and Barak’s emails show they were not simply selling technology, they were enabling a government to extend authority at the cost of civil liberties.
While Epstein, Barak, and Côte d’Ivoire may seem distant, the implications are global. Who controls the technology that watches us? How can it be used to suppress dissent? And how easily can civil liberties be traded for the illusion of security?
Whern private power meets political instability and advanced technology, the results can threaten democracy itself. It is a cautionary tale, proving that the real story often hides behind the images we see and the headlines we read.
Featured image via Substack CDN
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