HaqCheck Archives - Page 3 of 33

Do the images show the Ethiopian military deploying commandos in Shewa Robit?

On July 20, 2023, a viral Twitter post appeared sharing an image with a claim that Ethiopian army troops were routed by Fano militants in Shewa Robit and the soldiers dispersed leaving firearms and five Ural tracks behind. The claim adds that the Ethiopian government in return deployed commandos using helicopters.

To support the claim, the post presented an image made of two different pictures. The first picture depicts military tracks and the second picture shows a helicopter and rushing soldiers.

The Twitter post was more than 100 times and was viewed by over eleven thousand Twitter users.

However, HaqCheck confirmed that one of the pictures was old and didn’t support the claim. Thus, the claim is rated Partly False.

The Amhara region of Ethiopia has been in turmoil since the federal government announced its decision to disarm regional special police forces in April 2023. The situation has since escalated, with the Amhara regional state becoming embroiled in armed conflict between the Ethiopian government’s armed forces and informal armed militias. Reports indicate that many people have lost their lives in armed clashes within the region.

The town of Shewa Robit witnessed instability and violence as part of a wider pattern of instability in the Amhara region. The town has been rocked by a series of violent incidents in recent weeks. On July 4, 2023, the head of the town’s security bureau was shot dead by unknown assailants. Two days later, a deputy sergeant police officer was also killed in a shooting.

In response to the violence, the town has established an interim security command post and imposed a nighttime curfew.

Against this backdrop, a Twitter post shared an image on July 20, 2023, claiming that Ethiopian army troops were routed by Fano militants in Shewa Robit. The post said that the soldiers dispersed, leaving firearms and five Ural tracks behind. The post also claimed that the Ethiopian government deployed commandos using helicopters in response.

To support the claim, the post presented an image made of two different pictures. The first picture in the post shows military tracks. The post claims that these tracks were left behind by Ethiopian army troops who were routed by Fano militants in Shewa Robit. The second picture in the post shows a helicopter and rushing soldiers. The post claims that this picture shows Ethiopian commandos being deployed to Shewa Robit in response to the routing of Ethiopian army troops by Fano militants.

However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and found that one of the pictures was old and did not support the claim.

The second picture in the image was taken from a documentary film titled ‘Nisrochu’, which was released by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in May 2023. The image was also shared by the Ethiopian News Agency in its news report about the documentary movie.

Nonetheless, HaqCheck couldn’t confirm whether the first picture in the image supports the claim or not.

Therefore, the claim was rated Partly False due to its usage of an old image that doesn’t support the claim.

Does the image show Fano militants captured weapons from pro-government local militias?

On July 10, 2023, a Facebook post appeared containing images and a statement claiming that Fano militants in the Debre Elias Woreda had confiscated more than 15 rifles from local militiamen and policemen who supported the government.

According to the post, Ethiopian soldiers arrived in the Debrelias Woreda using three Urals and one autobus. It further asserted that the weapons were seized during a confrontation with local militiamen and policemen who collaborated and assisted Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) troops in the area.

However, the image was old and it doesn’t support the claim. Thus, the claim is rated False.

The Amhara region has been witnessing protests ever since the Ethiopian federal government made the decision in April 2023 to disarm special police forces.

The Amhara regional state became embroiled in conflicts and armed clashes involving the armed forces of the Ethiopian government and informal armed militias. Reports indicate that many people have lost their lives in recent armed confrontations within the region.

Recent conflicts and protests have also been reported in the East and West Gojjam zones of the region, resulting in casualties on both sides. Security personnel were responsible for the deaths of protesters, while armed militias killed Ethiopian army soldiers.

Civil unrest occurred recently in the towns of Denbecha, Jiga, and Finote Selam in Gojjam, Amhara regional state. Subsequently, fighting took place between unidentified armed groups and government security forces, resulting in the deaths of three individuals and injuries to over 20 people.

Against this backdrop, on July 10, 2023, a Facebook post emerged claiming that Fano militants in the Debre Elias Woreda had captured more than 15 rifles from local militiamen and policemen who supported the government.

The post stated that Ethiopian soldiers, traveling in three Urals and one autobus, entered the Debrelias Woreda. It also claimed that the weapons were seized during a fight with local militiamen and policemen who assisted and guided the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) troops in the area.

However, the image accompanying the post does not support these claims. The original image was first posted by AMECO in October 2021. Consequently, HaqCheck rated the post as False due to its use of an inaccurate image.

Does the image show an ongoing armed uprising in Gojjam, Amhara region?

On June 20 and 21, 2023, an image was shared on Twitter with a claim that it shows an ongoing armed uprising in the towns of Debre Markos, Dembecha, and Amanuel in Gojjam, Amhara region. The claim stated that the popular uprising followed after Ethiopian army soldiers killed two people in the Amanuel town which is located between Debre Markos and Dembecha. It also alleged that the angered people engaged and destroyed the Ethiopian troops in the area.

The image was viral on Twitter and it was shared many times. The image was also shared by other users on Twitter with the same claim.

However, HaqCheck confirmed that the image was old and doesn’t show an ongoing armed uprising in Gojjam, Amhara.

After the Ethiopian government began demobilizing regional special police forces, there have been resistance and clashes in the Amhara region.

Additionally, a former leader of the Addis Ababa-based Balderas Party Eskindir Nega, recently announced that he formed a military organization named Amhara Popular Force to wage an armed resistance against the Ethiopian government.

The Amhara regional state was embroiled in widespread protest and armed clashes between the Ethiopian government’s armed forces and informal armed militias.

News reports indicate that many people have been killed in the regional state in recent armed confrontations.

Recent conflicts and protests were also reported in East and West Gojjam zones of the region in which protesters were killed by security personnel and armed militias killed Ethiopian army soldiers.

There was recent civil unrest in the towns of Denbecha, Jiga, and Finote Selam in Gojjam, Amhara regional state and it was followed by a skirmish between unidentified armed groups and government security forces that caused the death of three people and injury of over 20 individuals.

In this context, an image circulated on Twitter claiming that there was an ongoing armed uprising in the towns of Debre Markos, Dembecha, and Amanuel in Gojjam, Amhara region, and the people managed to engage and destroy the Ethiopian troops in the area.

However, the image was old and doesn’t show an ongoing armed uprising in Gojjam, Amhara.

The original picture was published for the first time on Facebook on Nov 14, 2020. The original image was shared with a description that it shows militiamen in the Baso Liben woreda, East Gojjam zone, Amhara region.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim as False due to its usage of an inaccurate image.

Does the image show an ongoing armed conflict in Gojjam, Amhara region?

An image was posted on Facebook on June 16, 2023, with a claim that heavy fighting was ongoing between Fano militias and the Ethiopian military troops in Eastern Gojjam, Amhara region. It also claimed that the Ethiopian troops deployed into the area were defeated and forced to retreat.

The Facebook post was viral and shared more than forty-five times on the platform.

However, the image used to support the claim was old and has no connection with the claim. Thus, HaqCheck rated the claim as False.

After the Ethiopian government began demobilizing regional special police forces, there have been resistance and clashes in the Amhara region.

The Amhara regional state was embroiled in widespread protest and armed clashes between the Ethiopian government’s armed forces and informal armed militias.

News reports indicate that many people have been killed in the regional state in recent armed confrontations.

Recent conflicts and protests were also reported in East and West Gojjam zones of the region in which protesters were killed by security personnel and armed militias killed Ethiopian army soldiers.

Against this backdrop, a Facebook post emerged sharing an image with a claim that there was heavy fighting between Fano militias and the Ethiopian military troops in Eastern Gojjam, Amhara region, and the Ethiopian soldiers were defeated and retreated.

HaqCheck looked into the image to see whether it supports the claim. However, the image was old and published on social media platforms years ago.

The picture was published on Twitter for the first time on Nov 23, 2021, when Fano militias, alongside the Ethiopian and Eritrean armed forces, were fighting against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces. The original image was also shared in this context.

Granted that there were armed clashes and resistance in the Gojjam zones of the Amhara regional state, the image doesn’t support the claim. Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim as False due to its usage of an inaccurate image.

Does the image show recently massacred Christians and monks in Ethiopia’s Amhara region?

On June 2, 2023, HaqCheck came across a Twitter post sharing an image with a claim that the Ethiopian government recently massacred hundreds of Christians and monks in a monastery in the Amhara regional state.

By the time this article was published, the post had more than 39 thousand views and was retweeted more than 500 times.

However, HaqCheck inspected the image and rendered the claim False.

The Ethiopian federal government decided in April 2023 that regional special police forces should be dissolved and incorporated into the Ethiopian army, Federal Police, or regional police forces.

Following the announcement of the dismantling of regional paramilitary forces, tensions increased in the Amhara regional state. Later on, armed clashes and demonstrations against the federal government’s decision to disband local special police forces took place in the region.

Amid the crisis, Girma Yeshitla, the head of the Amhara Prosperity Party was killed. The Ethiopian government accused armed militias, commonly known as Fano, of assassinating the senior party official and vowed to take serious measures.

Following the incident, there were unconfirmed social media allegations of government armed forces deployment and violent clashes in various regions of the Amhara regional state.

News reports indicated an armed conflict in a monastery named Debre Elias in the East Gojjam zone of the Amhara region broke out and civilians were killed in the clash.

Against this backdrop, a claim emerged alleging that the Ethiopian government recently massacred hundreds of Christians and monks in the monastery in the Amhara regional state.

HaqCheck looked into the image using a Google reverse image search to see if it proves the claim. However, the picture was found previously published on a news website on Apr 14, 2017.

Accordingly, the image shows the dead bodies of 36 non-Muslim civilians massacred by Al Shabaab militants in Kenya.

Granted there were reports of armed clashes in the Amhara region, but the image presented to support the claim is old and inaccurate. Thus, HaqCheck rated the claim as False.

False: The image doesn’t show a church recently destroyed by government forces in Amhara region.

A Twitter account with more than 130 thousand followers shared a post with an image on May 31, captioned, “The fascist group [rule] of Abiy Ahmed has crossed the red line”, indicating that government forces destroyed a church recently. The attached image depicts a damaged chapel building.

By the time this article was published, the post had more than 700 reactions and was shared more than 350 times.

The image was also shared with the same claim on Facebook including here, here, and here.

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

On Apr 6, 2023, the Ethiopian federal government announced that it had decided that regional special police forces should be dissolved and integrated into the Ethiopian National Defence Forces, the Federal Police, or the regional police.

Upon the announcement of the dissolution of regional paramilitary forces, tensions arose in the Amhara regional state.

There have been armed clashes and public protests in the region opposing the federal government’s decision to disestablish regional special police forces.

After the incident, there were unconfirmed social media reports that there were armed confrontations in various areas in the Amhara regional state following alleged government armed forces deployment in the region.

News reports indicate an armed conflict in a monastery named Debre Elias in the Eastern Gojjam zone of the Amhara region and monks and some other people were killed in the clash.

Against this backdrop, a claim emerged circulating across different social media platforms that the federal government has launched heavy artillery attacks in the monastery.

HaqCheck looked into the image to see if it proves the claim. However, HaqCheck found out that the picture was previously published on Facebook and it doesn’t support the claim.

The image was first shared on Facebook on Nov 30, 2022, with a description that Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces were digging trenches around a church in Kobo, Amhara region.

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Granted that there was an armed confrontation in which many people were killed, the image doesn’t show the monastery was destroyed by government forces recently. Therefore HaqCheck rated the claim as False due to the usage of an old picture.

Does the image show an ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara region?

An image was circulating on Facebook supporting a claim that it shows an ongoing armed conflict between the Ethiopian federal troops and armed militia forces in the Amhara regional state.

HaqCheck spotted the image disseminating along with Facebook posts including here, here, and here. The posts reached many users across the Ethiopian landscape.

However, the image is old and it doesn’t show an ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara region.

Following the decision of the government, tensions arose in the Amhara regional state and there were widespread public protests in the region opposing the federal government’s decision to disestablish regional special police forces.

On Apr 27, 2023, Girma Yeshitla, the head of the Amhara Prosperity Party was killed. The Ethiopian federal government and the Amhara regional government accused armed militias, commonly known as Fano, of assassinating the senior party official and vowed to take serious measures.

Unconfirmed social media reports claimed that the government deployed armed forces in the Amhara regional state to disarm Fano militants.

Recent news reports stated that Eskindir Nega, a former leader of the Balderas Party established a military organization named Amhara Popular Force to fight the Ethiopian government.

Amid that, social media posts alleged that there had been clashes in the region between Ethiopian troops and armed militias.

Against this backdrop, Facebook posts came out with an image claiming that the picture shows an ongoing armed conflict between Amhara regional militias and Ethiopian troops in Gojjam, Amhara region.

HaqCheck looked into the image and found out that the picture was published some years ago.

The image was published for the first time on Facebook on Nov 4, 2018. The original Facebook post shared the image with a description that conflict arose between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces troops and residents in Kobo, Amhara region.Thus, HaqCheck rated the Facebook posts that claimed the image shows an ongoing armed conflict in Amhara regional False.

Do the pictures show recently demolished mosques in Oromia?

Four pictures were shared on Twitter on May 22, 2023, supporting a claim that the images show recently demolished mosques in the Oromia region by the government. The post stated that government buildings were being instead constructed in the areas where the mosques previously stood.

The Twitter post further claims that the Ethiopian government recently knocked down five mosques in Oromia and more than 35 religious places have been deliberately demolished since the ascent of Ahiy Ahmed (PhD) to premiership.

The Addis Ababa city administration and the Oromia regional government have been demolishing allegedly illegal houses in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas in Oromia. The government says that the houses being pulled down were illegally constructed.

The administration of the newly established city of Sheger has recently demolished many illegal houses on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The city administration claimed that it was knocking down illegally constructed housings.

Furthermore, there were unconfirmed reports that religious buildings such as mosques and churches were bulldozed during a recent ‘illegal houses demolition’ campaign launched by the Sheger city administration, in the Oromia region.

On May 18, 2023, the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council wrote a letter to Prime Minister Abiy complaining about the alleged demolition of mosques in Sheger City.

In this context, a Twitter post came up with four images claiming that the Ethiopian government recently demolished five mosques in Oromia and was constructing government buildings instead.

HaqCheck looked into the images and found out that the pictures were old and had no connection with the claim.

The pictures show the al-Nejashi Mosque, an old mosque, damaged due to shelling during the war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

The images were published by different news outlets and across social media platforms.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim False as it used inaccurate images to support it.

Do these images show houses demolished for the construction of the new Ethiopian Palace?

On May 19, 2023, a claim appeared on Twitter sharing two images that they show houses recently demolished for the construction of the new Ethiopian palace in Addis Ababa.

The Twitter account has over nine thousand followers. The post was viewed more than eighteen thousand times and it was shared by 238 accounts across the platform.

However, HaqCheck inquired about the claim and confirmed that one of the two pictures was old and doesn’t support the claim. Thus, the claim was rated Partly False.

The Ethiopian government has embarked on the building of a new palace in the Yeka district of Addis Ababa. The palace project and other related facilities being built are dubbed by the government as ‘Chaka Project’.

The palace was first reported to cost 49 billion Birr, but later on, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) told the Parliament that his government was constructing the Chaka Project for hundreds of billions of Birr.

The Project to be sprawled on 503 hectares of land will comprise halls, artificial lakes, housing units, and road infrastructures.

It is supposed that thousands of people would be evacuated from the area where the project lays on. As part of it, a 20-kilometer long asphalt road was being built for 15 billion Birr.

Recent social media reports claim that people have been told to evacuate the area where the Chaka Project is being built within a few days.

On the other hand, the Addis Ababa city administration and the Oromia regional government have been engaged in house demolitions in Addis Ababa and surrounding areas in Oromia. The government says that the houses being demolished were illegal.

The administration of the newly established city of Sheger have recently demolished many illegal houses in the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The city administration claimed that it was knocking down illegally constructed houses.

Against this backdrop, a claim emerged on Twitter sharing two images that they show recently demolished houses for the construction of the new Ethiopian Palace.

However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and found out that one of the two pictures was old and has no connection with the construction of the new palace.

The first image used to support the claim was first published on Facebook on Feb 19, 2019 with a description that houses were being razed in the Legetafo Legedadi city administration, part of the then Finfinne Special Zone of the Oromia regional state.

The second picture in the Twitter post was first published by Addis Standard, a local media outlet, on Jan 6, 2023, along with a news article. The news outlet stated that the picture shows a recently demolished house and it was one of many images it received. But, Addis Standard didn’t give a further description of where was the house demolished. Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim Partly False because one of the pictures used was old.

Is Amharic the second most-spoken language in the world?

HaqCheck came across a claim made on Twitter on May 9, 2023, that the Amharic language is the second most-spoken language in the world next to Arabic.

The Twitter post received many reactions and views on the platform. However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and rated it False.

There are organizations that publish periodic statistical data on languages and the number of speakers.

Ethnologue is an annual statistics publication and it is one of the top sources of world language statistics. The publication owned by a non-profit organization SIL International is considered as the main source of global language statistics by many institutions such as Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, and Oxford University.

Thus, HaqCheck used statistical data from Ethnologue to cross-check the claim.

Ethnologue ranks languages in terms of the number of native speakers and total (natives plus non-natives) speakers.

Accordingly, the most spoken language in the world in terms of total speakers is English. The language has 1.45 billion native and non-native speakers.

However, in terms of native speakers, Chinese Mandarin is by far the most-spoken language in the world with 939 million native speakers.

In terms of the number of total speakers, these are the ten most-spoken languages in the world: English, Chinese Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, and Urdu.

In terms of the number of native speakers, these are the ten most-spoken languages in the world: Chinese Mandarin, Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Japanese, and Lahnda.

For instance, Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in terms of native speakers and the seventh in terms of total speakers.

According to Ethnologue, Amharic which is the working language of the federal government of Ethiopia, has 32 million native speakers and 25 million non-native speakers.

In terms of native speakers, Amharic is the second most-spoken language in Ethiopia after the Afaan Oromo which has 37 million native speakers.

However, back to the claim, Amharic is not the second most-spoken language in the world.

According to researches, Amharic was developed out of the mixture of Cushitic and Semitic languages.

Ethnologue categorizes Amharic as a Semitic language. Accordingly, Amharic is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world after Arabic. Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim False.