FALSE:
On December 8, 2020 a facebook page by the name Tigray Press ልሳን ትግራይ (with over 123,376 followers) posted the picture below of two unidentified armed men pointing guns at a child to question what the government is currently calling a law enforcement operation in the Tigray region. The text – which is written in Tigrinya – asks the question “A law enforcement operation or a genocide campaign.” However, Haqcheck can confirm that the picture below doesn’t show the reality in the Tigray region, rendering the verdict FALSE for the claim by the facebook page.
Granted, there is a conflict currently ongoing in the Tigray region between the Federal government and the TPLF led Tigray special police and militia since 4 November 2020. The federal government has repeatedly called the military operation in the region a “law enforcement operation” to restore the rule of law in Tigray. There have also been allegations from the TPLF leadership as well as several Tigrian activists online regarding the operation being an attempt to commit an act of genocide on the Tigray people, though no evidence has been put forth to support these claims yet.
Image 1: Doctored Image
Image 2: Original Image (Dr Yusuf Garaad warfaa)
However, a reverse image search of the image that is posted on the page indicates that the picture is not of the ongoing military operation in Tigray. The picture was published for the first time on Twitter by the name of Dr Yusuf Garaad warfaa two years ago. At the time Dr Yusuf Garaad warfaa claimed that the Oromo military had killed 15 Somali civilians in Moyale. The tweet can be accessed using the following link. Therefore, HaqCheck can confirm that the above picture does not show the current situation in Tigray or the actions of the ENDF and Amhara Special Police and Militia during the conflict in the region. Therefore, it has given the above post the rating FALSE for sharing inaccurate information to support the claim.
Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak
Edited by: Bruck Negash Teame
The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking running in five languages (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya and English)
Editor’s Note:
The following article was published as part of Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative. As the reconstruction of our website continues, Addis Zeybe would like its readers to note that it will be publishing fact checking articles on a permanent basis in five languages (Afaan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya and English. Addis Zeye will also be publishing monthly pandemic impact assessment and human rights reports in the coming months.
