The facebook post below alleged that trucks are heading to Tigray to loot the region asking its followers (23,253 followers) to share the image. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the post and the pictures used as evidence to learn that it was false information.
There have been instabilities in Tigray following the conflict that broke out between the federal and regional forces on 4 November 2020. The TPLF-led Tigray regional government forces on the one side and the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and Amhara regional forces on the other side had been in fighting for nearly a month now with the ENDF later controlling Mekele on 28 November 2020. The conflict in the region is still raging on with TPLF leaders still at large in an area close to Mekele, the capital of Tigray.
Amid the conflict a facebook post claiming that trucks from Eritrea are looting the Tigray region has emerged. However, a reverse image search of the first image used in the facebook post shows that the picture is of the heavy-duty trucks that were used by Piccini, an Italian construction firm when constructing residential buildings and resorts in Massawa, Eritrea. The picture was first published in March in 2013 and can be accessed with the following link.
The second picture on the other hand is of an old truck taken from Eritrea. A reverse image search indicates that the image was first published in Flickr, an American image and video sharing platform in 2012 and can be accessed with the following link.
Granted, there were ongoing instabilities in Tigray at the time the facebook post was shared. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the post and rated it as FALSE information due to the inaccuracy of the claim related to the pictures.
Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak
Edited by: Bruck Negash Teame
The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.
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 (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya and English. Addis Zeye will also be publishing monthly pandemic impact assessment and human rights reports in the coming months.
