Author: Kirubel Tesfaye

A Facebook page with over 39,000 followers shared an image with a short caption, “these [weapons] were found inside the premises of an Orthodox Church in Shashemene”. By the time this article was published, the post was shared thirteen times.

However, HaqCheck inspected the image and confirmed it was old. Therefore, the post was rendered False.

On Jan 22, 2023, former archbishops of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church appointed bishops without the recognition of the synod of the church.

Abune Sawiros,  Archbishop of South West Shoa, and two others ordained 26 bishops to various episcopates in Oromia and southern parts of the country.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s Synod immediately convened about the issue and denounced the bishops who participated in the appointment of the breakaway episcopate. The synod excommunicated Abune Sawiros and other bishops for ‘violating the church’s canonical orders’.

The breakaway archbishops announced that the bishops appointed by Abune Sawiros would travel to their respective episcopates. Social media reports indicated that some of these bishops were welcomed by residents in Oromia.

The leader of the breakaway bishops, Abune Sawiros, appointed Abune Pawlos to the West Arsi diocese in Shashemene town. Tension and clashes erupted during the trip of the newly appointed bishop to Shashemene.

According to news reports, three people were killed in the town of Shashemene after a clash broke out between the supporters of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Synod and the schismatic bishops.

It was in this context a Facebook post emerged sharing an image with a claim that weapons were found inside the premises of an Orthodox Tewahido church in Shashemene.

HaqCheck used a google reverse image to search if the image was previously published on the platform.

As a result, HaqCheck discovered that the picture was old and published two years ago. The image was previously shared on Facebook on Mar 15, 2021. The original image was shared with a description that the Ethiopian Federal Police seized weapons and ammunition in the Sidama regional state.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post False.

State-affiliated media outlets such as the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation and the Ethiopian News Agency published a news story on Facebook that Ethiopia was preparing to launch its ‘second’ satellite into orbit.

The Facebook posts by the two pages were shared half a thousand times and got close to ten thousand reactions.

However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and confirmed that Ethiopia launched its second satellite into orbit two years ago. Thus, the claim was rated False.

Ethiopia launched its first satellite into space in December 2019. The satellite is an earth observatory remote sensing satellite. The satellite named (ETRSS-1) was constructed in China and was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China.

The Ethiopian first ever satellite required more than seven million dollars, and the Chinese government covered most of the cost. It was designed to be used for weather forecast and crop monitoring.

The satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the prime contractor, in collaboration with 21 Ethiopian scientists, trained on the project as part of the technology-transfer agreement between China and Ethiopia.

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A year after launching its first-ever satellite into space, Ethiopia launched its second satellite in December 2020. The satellite named ET-Smart-RSS was launched from China’s Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. The initial design work of the rocket was done in Ethiopia, but technical work was done in China in collaboration with Chinese experts.

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The state-affiliated media organization, Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Ethiopian News Agency reported that Ethiopia was preparing to launch a second satellite into space.

However, HaqCheck investigated the information and confirmed that Ethiopia launched its second rocket into orbit back in 2020.

News reports indicate that Ethiopia has been preparing to launch a third satellite into space. The soon-to-be-launched satellite is each observatory and will have a higher image resolution than its predecessors.

HaqCheck spoke with Yeshurun Alemayehu (PhD), Deputy Director of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) about the issue. He confirmed to HaqCheck that Ethiopia already launched two satellites and will launch a third soon.

Therefore HaqCheck rendered the post as False.

A Facebook page with more than seven thousand followers shared an image on Dec 5, 2022, inexplicitly claiming that the picture shows ethnic Amharas recently executed in the Oromia region.

The image was captioned with an English text that reads “Amhara genocide in Oromia region of Ethiopia”.

By the time this article was published the post was shared over 39 times.

However, HaqCheck inspected the image and confirmed that it doesn’t prove the claim. Thus, the post was rendered False.   

There have been recurrent conflicts and violence in Oromia, particularly in the Wollega zones of the regional state. The armed conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a military organization commonly addressed by the government as Shene has been intensified.

Many civilians including ethnic Amharas and Oromos were killed amid the armed conflict. Reports indicate that ethnic Amharas were mass evicted and mass killed in the conflict-prone areas.

The government and the OLA have blamed each other for the killings.

Mass killing and violence were recently reported in the East Wollega zone amidst an armed fighting between the belligerents along the border areas between the Amhara and Oromia regional states.

The image-backed claim that Amhara civilians were recently executed in Oromia appeared on Facebook against this backdrop.

HaqCheck inquired in the image was authentic. Yet, the picture was old and was previously published in August 2020.

The original image was first published by a news website stating that the picture shows two Somali soldiers publicly executed for allegedly raping a 10-years old boy in Baidoa, a city in the South West region of Somalia.

The news site said that the former soldiers were paraded on the outskirts of town before they were shot to death by the firing squad of the 60th division of the Somali National Army.Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post False for using an inaccurate image to support the claim.

On Dec 14, 2022, HaqCheck came across a Facebook post sharing an image that uniformed security officers harassing students with a claim that the picture shows police officers recently assaulting students in Addis Ababa.

The post was virally circulated and was shared close to half a thousand times by the time this article was published.

Yet, HaqCheck confirmed that the image doesn’t show a recent police assault on students in Addis Ababa. Thus, the post was rated False.

There have been claims that students and the Addis Ababa police clashed because schools were ‘forced to display the Oromia national flag and students to sing Oromia regional anthem’.

According to an Ethiopian News Agency, Adanech Abebe, Mayor of Addis Ababa, said that there were people who sought to unleash flag-related conflict in the city.

On Dec 8, 2022, Addis Ababa Police Commission stated that it arrested 97 students and teachers suspected of inciting conflict and violence in the city.

Police said that those arrested students and teachers provoked conflicts by dragging the Ethiopian flag and the Oromia regional flag.

Head of Addis Ababa City Peace and Security Administration Bureau, Lydia Girma announced on Dec 12, 2022,  that security forces detained 72 individuals who allegedly were suspected of working to instigate violence in schools in the city.

HaqCheck also found a video clip published on Facebook on Dec 12, 2022, claiming to be showing police officers violently assaulting students in Shiromeda.

News reports this week stated that the federal government ordered schools in the city not to force students to sing Oromia regional anthem and not to enforce the display of the Oromia flag.

The image-backed claim that police recently assaulted students in Addis Ababa appeared against the backdrop of this situation.

In an effort to verify whether the image supports the claim or not, HaqCheck uses a google reverse image search. As a result, the picture was found previously posted in 2016 on different websites including by Human Rights Watch. The description attached to the image claimed that the picture shows Ethiopian security forces harassing students in the Oromia regional state in 2016 in a bid to suppress the widespread popular protests against the then-ruling regime.

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Granted there were claims of police violence amid the clashes in schools in the city, but the image does not prove the claim.Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post as False.

A Facebook page with over 200 thousand followers made a post on Dec 11, 2022, captioned “Morocco is celebrating with two flags.” The post presented an image that shows the Moroccan national team displaying the flag of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and rejoicing after a match.

By the time this article is published, the post had more than half a thousand reactions and was shared sixteen times.

However, HaqCheck inspected the post and confirmed that the image doesn’t support the claim. Thus, HaqCheck rendered the image Altered.

The flag used in the post belongs to the ONLF (Ogaden National Liberation Front). The politico-military organization, ONLF was established in 1984 seeking the national self-determination right of the Ethiopian Somali region. ONLF had been fighting the Ethiopian regime since 1994.

The Ethiopian ruling party underwent reform and picked a new prime minister in 2018 in a bid to reverse the widespread popular uprising across the country. The newly elected Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called upon armed groups and exiled political organizations to return to Ethiopia and resort to a peaceful struggle. Considering the call by Prime Minister, on Aug 12, 2018, the ONLF declared a unilateral ceasefire and returned back to Ethiopia.

Since then, the ONLF has remained politically active in the country and is one of the prominent opposition parties in the Somali regional state.

The FIFA World Cup, commonly referred to as the World Cup, is a periodic international football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the members of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Since its commencement in 1930, the tournament has been held every four years, with the exception of 1942 and 1946, when it was canceled due to the Second World War.

The 22 round of the FIFA World Cup is currently being held in Qatar. The tournament was opened on Nov 20 and will stay till Dec 18, 2022.

The Moroccan national football team has reached the Qatar FIFA World Cup semi-final as the first African Arab country. After their victory against Spain, the Moroccan team raised the Palestinian flag.

The claim that the Moroccan football team displayed the ONLF flag during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar appeared in the backdrop of this situation.

In an effort of verifying the claim, we used a google reverse image search. As a result, HaqCheck found the original image posted on different websites and social media platforms. The original image shows the Moroccan players displaying the Palestinian flag after a match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup being held in Qatar.

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HaqCheck also found a video clip published on YouTube of the Moroccan players raising the Palestinian flag after their win against Spain on Dec 6, 2022.

Link,Therefore, HaqCheck confirmed that the post was false and rated the image Altered.

A Facebook page with more than eleven thousand followers shared a post on Dec 4, 2022, claiming that ethnic Amharas were killed in Wollega, Oromia. The post published a video that shows people transporting dead bodies with stretchers.

The post was virally circulating on Facebook and was watched by close to thirty thousand users.

However, HaqCheck inspected the video and confirmed that the video used to prove the claim was old. Thus, the post was rendered False.

Armed conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), a military organization called by the government Shene has been raging.

Besides, there have been violence and massacres targeting civilians. Ethnic Amharas and Oromos were reported to have been recurrently killed by government and armed group attacks.

Last June, more than 200 civilians, mostly ethnic Amharas, were killed in an attack in a place called Tole, in the West Wollega zone of the Oromia region. The government accused OLA of the killing while the armed group denies the blame.

Conflict recently arose in Oromia, particularly in the border areas adjacent to the Amhara regional state.

A local media organization reported last week that Amhara militants (Fano) killed dozens of people in the Kiremu district of the East Wollega zone on Nov 25 and 29, 2022.

Another news site claimed that over 50 civilians were killed in the area in an attack against ethnic Amharas.

It is against this background that the video emerged on Facebook claiming that ethnic Amharas were killed in the latest violence in Wollega, Oromia.

To investigate the claim, HaqCheck used keywords to cross-check if the video was previously published.

Thus, HaqCheck found out that the video was previously published on Mar 5, 2021, on the Facebook page of the Amhara Prosperity Party (APP). The video was shared with a short Amharic caption that ethnic Amharas were massacred by the TPLF in the Mai Kadra town.

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Although there are claims that ethnic Amharas who live in the Oromia regional state were killed in an ongoing conflict, the video clip used in the Facebook post doesn’t show Amhara civilians recently killed in Wollega, Oromia. The video doesn’t prove the claim.Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post False because it used an old and false video to support the claim.

A Twitter account with more than 200 thousand followers shared a post claiming that TPLF militants in Maytsemri surrendered their weapons to local authorities and gathered in temporary camps. The post presented four pictures to support the claim.

By the time this article is published the post had close to two thousand reactions and was retweeted more than half a thousand times.

Yet, HaqCheck inspected the post and confirmed the images don’t support the claim. Accordingly, the post is rendered False.

On 2 November 2022, a peace deal was signed between Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian federal government.

The TPLF agreed to surrender its weapons and demobilize its combatant forces. The peace pact nullified the regional election conducted in the Tigray regional state without the consent of the federal government in September 2020.

On Nov 12, 2022, top military leaders of the Ethiopia National Defence Force (ENDF) and the TPLF forces (under the name of Tigray Armed Combatants) agreed to form a joint committee to “elaborate on the modalities for the implementation of comprehensive disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program.”

Per the peace agreement, disarmament of heavy weapons will be conducted when foreign forces and non-ENDF forces leave the Tigray region.

After disarmament and demobilization, TPLF combatants will be reintegrated into the Ethiopian army, according to the peace deal.

Against this backdrop, a claim appeared on Twitter sharing four images that TPLF combatants in Maytsemri were already surrendering their weapons to local authorities and gathering in temporary camps.

In an effort to verify the claim, HaqCheck spotted the images in a video shared by a local media outlet, Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), on its Facebook and Youtube channels. The video was shared with the claim that TPLF’s arms depot was found in a raid in Mekelle.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post False due to its usage of inaccurate images to support the claim.

A Facebook page with more than 38 thousand followers shared four images on Nov 18, 2022, claiming that the pictures are of a design of a satellite town to be built in Addis Ababa. The post also states that the satellite town (aka the Chaka Project) covers a large swath of land stretching from around Entoto to Tafo.

The Facebook post was viral and was shared many times on the same platform.

However, HaqCheck confirmed that the images don’t show a design of the so-called project and rendered it as False.

Since the coming of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to the premiership, the government launched ambitious projects in the capital city.

Among these fancy projects are Entoto Park, Friendship Park, Unity Park, the Meskel Square Underground Parking Lot, the Beautifying Sheger riverside project, the Science Museum, and the Abrehot Library. All except the riverside project are completed and open for visitors.

Reports show that the Office of the Prime Minister is undertaking the construction of a satellite town which will comprise a new national palace.

The project will lay on a thousand hectares of land in the Yeka district of Addis Ababa.

On Nov 15, 2022, Prime Minister Abiy (PhD) told members of the Parliament that the government is constructing a modern satellite town that will cost billions of dollars.

In this context, a claim emerged on Facebook sharing four images alleging that the pictures were of the design of the satellite town which is currently under construction.

Nonetheless, HaqCheck found out that the pictures don’t show the design of the alleged project.

The first image was published on a website on  Jul 15, 2010, and allegedly shows a design of a hotel in Moscow, Russia.

The second, third, and fifth pictures of the post are of a design of a smart forest city in Mexico. The images were first published on a website in October 2019.

The fourth image shows an overhead shot of Entoto Natural Park built on the northern outskirts of Addis Ababa.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the post as False.

A Twitter account shared a post on Oct 25, 2022, captioned “In a sign of relief and professional capacity, ENDF has been pre-planning, massive POW surrender & disarm centers throughout Tigray region. These are places where TPLF rebels can disarm their weapons, get registered, and be treated with humility.”

By the time this article is published the post had been retweeted more than 120times and had more than 200 reactions.

However, HaqCheck examined the image and rendered it False.

Fighting between the Ethiopian government and TPLF forces resumed after a cessation of hostilities was declared on Mar 24, 2022.

There were different alleged claims that there were informal phone calls between the two leaders, which later both TPLF and the Federal government denied. But later the first formal peace talk was held in South Africa, Pretoria on Oct 25, 2022. 

On Nov 2, 2022, the official peace deal between the two belligerent parties was signed in South Africa.

One of the conditions dealt with in the peace accord was the disarmament of Tigrayan forces. The post is thus produced in this context. 

In an effort of verifying the image, Haqcheck used a google reverse image search and found the picture previously posted on Getty Images captioned, “Children and members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (DFLR) rebel group stand in front of weapons during an arms surrender ceremony, in Kateku, North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 30, 2014. More than 100 armed Rwandan rebels from a group linked to the 1994 genocide in their homeland turned themselves in on May 30 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a decision welcomed by the UN.”

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Therefore due to its use of the wrong picture to support the claim, HaqCheck rendered the image False.