A Facebook page with more than 42,000 followers posted two images with Amharic captions that read “Good Victory News for Ethiopians”. Posted on July 22, the story claimed that a trusted military source confirmed a warehouse with a large stockpile of weapons set up [by TPLF] to control Afar and Amhara regions burned down to ashes by FDRE Air Force. The Facebook story also claimed that the incident happened at a place around Kaluwa, the border of Afar and Amhara regions. The post has been shared more than 400 times in less than 24 hours.
HaqCheck looked into the post and rated it as False due to the usage of inaccurate images to support the claim.
On November 4, 2020, armed fighting started between TPLF-led regional and federal government-led forces in Tigray. In the ensuing conflict, the federal army has controlled major areas in Tigray, but there have been reports of active war and guerilla fighting across the region. The Federal government also announced it had captured and killed TPLF senior military and civil officials.
Late last month the Ethiopian government declared a sudden unilateral ceasefire for “humanitarian purposes” and immediately withdrew its forces from the mainlands of the regional state. As a reason for the withdrawal, the federal government mentioned a request from the Tigray Interim Administration.
The TPLF-forces have been advancing southwards and southeast, moving out of the heartlands of Tigray. Recently armed clashes have been reported in border areas adjacent to Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regional states.
The Facebook post was circulating amid this situation.
However, a reverse image search of both the pictures shows that the images were taken at different times and are not actually related to the current situation around the regions. The first image that shows two helicopters firing was taken by Sergey Pivovarov, on September 20, 2019, while Russian mi-35 attack helicopters fire during military exercises. The original image is available on c Alamy, an online image stock.
The second image showing an armed man and another man wearing what seems like an Ethiopian flag was actually taken by Paul Salopek. It is part of journalist Paul Salopek’s multiyear, “21,000-mile walk across the world in the footsteps of our forebears”, which was published on February 04, 2013. The image can be found on the National Geographic website.
HaqCheck also could not find any official report from the Air force or other media outlets regarding the situation.
Even though there have been reports of fresh armed conflicts in the areas that border the Tigray, Amhara, and Afar regions, HaqCheck confirmed that the images do not show an incident where the Ethiopian Air Force is destroying a warehouse of weapons in Afar. Therefore we rated the post as FALSE due to the usage of inaccurate images to support the claim.
A Facebook page with over 11,450 followers posted claims on July 14 2021 that dead bodies of Amhara special forces had been taken to Gondar by Sino trucks, a type of vehicle widely used for construction purposes in Ethiopia.
The text written in Amharic reads: “What’s going on? 12 Sino Trucks loaded with dead bodies arrived in Gondar, earlier this morning. Our Militia, our special forces are dying…“.
HaqCheck looked into the post and has rated it as False.
The federal government has been battling the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) since November 2020 after accusing it of attacking military bases in the restive region. Following three weeks of armed conflict, the federal government occupied the regional capital city, Mekelle.
During the battle, it was reported that TPLF officials had been captured and killed by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). However, the international community also accused the Federal government, ENDF, Amhara militia, and Eritrean troops of crimes against humanity including massacres and rapes.
After eight months of the war, it was reported that the Ethiopian government had made the decision to withdraw and declare a ceasefire in Tigray. After being dislodged by Ethiopia’s military, the former leaders of the region claimed to have regained control on 28 June 2021 over the regional capital.
HaqCheck looked into the image posted by the page. A reverse image search of the image shows that the image was first posted on 23 Dec 2019, by Loozap Ethiopia, an online platform for selling and buying products. The image was shared to advertise the sale of a two million Birr Sino truck. Also, the image used by the page is manipulated and cropped from the original one.
Additionally, HaqCheck observed that up until the time this article was published there had been no official report of related incidents from neither the Amhara national regional government nor the TPLF.
Despite the ongoing conflict in the areas bordering the Amhara and Tigray region, HaqCheck has confirmed that the image doesn’t show a truck full of dead bodies, rendering the post False due to the inaccuracy of the image.
On July 8 Maleda tvnetwork, a Facebook page created in 2019 with more than 15,000 followers, posted Amharic news with a headline “It’s confirmed that Eritrean refugees are being killed in Tigray after the national army withdrew”. The post attributed Al Ain Amharic, a news outlet, as a source. HaqCheck looked into the post.
Since 4 November 2020, there has been an armed conflict between the TPLFand Federal government-led forces in Tigray Region. The federal government controlled the regional capital city, Mekelle on 28 November 2020. It has also announced that it has captured senior officials and military officers of the TPLF. . But instabilities keep going in the region even after the federal government controlled the regional state. After 8 months of active conflicts, it was reported that Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) withdrawn from the region and the federal government has declared a unilateral ceasefire ahead of the summer farming season, better delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need, and seeking a political and timely solution, following a request from the Tigry interim government. Following the ceasefire, the federal army left Tigray.
On July 7 The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) tweeted “UNHCR is aware of reports of the alleged killing of Eritrean refugees in Tigray last week. We take such reports very seriously & have immediately contacted our staff, partners + Eritrean refugees in the Shire. We have not so far been able to corroborate any of the information received.”
HaqCheck looked into the image posted both by Al-Ain Amharic and Maleda tvnetwork. A reverse image search of the image shows that the image was first posted on Twitter by Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA), on March 4th, announcing that ARRA relocated 295 Eritrean refugees to Mai-Aini and Adi-Harush camps. HaqCheck observed that the posts on July 8, by both the pages mentioned above, don’t have an image description and source, rating the post as misleading due to the false connection between the Image and the content.
HaqCheck also observed that the headline of the post, by Maleda tv network saying “It’s confirmed that Eritrean refugees are being killed in Tigray after the national army withdrew” doesn’t match with the content of the original source of the news which was reported by Al-Ain Amharic. As of the time the picture was posted on Facebook and this article was written, the UNHCR didn’t confirm the information, and also they emphasized that “they have not corroborated any of the information received.” in their latest tweet.
Based on the above reasons, HaqCheck rendered the Facebook post, claiming that the killing of the Eritrean refugees has been confirmed as Misleading.
War broke out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region in November 2020 between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)-led armed forces.
The federal government started an offensive against TPLF-loyal forces after they launched an “anticipatory” surprising attack on the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) northern command military bases.
The Ethiopian government has said that the military operation is a “law enforcement” campaign to bring perpetrators to justice and is committing efforts to respond to humanitarian needs.
The federal government-led forces took control of major areas including Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray, on November 28. The federal-led forces then declared victory over the TPLF. Skirmishes continued beyond urban centers and the federal government captured and killed senior military and civil officers of the TPLF-led forces.
However, fighting had persisted in Tigray. Continued hostilities unleashed security and humanitarian crises.
As the crisis in the region deepened, the international community began pressuring the Ethiopian government to take action to improve the humanitarian and security situation of the regional state. The UN Security Council, the US, and European governments have registered their deep concern regarding the armed conflict and have called for a cessation of hostilities and peaceful resolution.
Governments and international organizations imposed sanctions on the Ethiopian government for allegedly failing to improve the humanitarian and security conditions. The European Union in mid-December 2020 has decided to conditionally delay a decision on a potential 90 million euro budget support payment to the Ethiopian government before the end of 2020.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held sessions to discuss ways out of the crisis. The Council released ‘statements of deep concern’ about the humanitarian and security crisis in Tigray.
On May 24, 2021, the US Department of State handed down a visa restriction policy on four parties stated to have allegedly conducted wrongful violence and abuses and hindered access to humanitarian assistance to the Tigray region. The sanction levies restrictions on visa issuance for any current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces, Amhara regional forces, and members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
In response, on 24 May 2021, the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issued a statement expressing its disappointment with the US State Department’s decision to impose a visa restriction. Addis Ababa warned that if the US government continued to interfere and meddle in Ethiopia’s internal affairs, the country would be obliged to reassess its relations with the US which might have implications beyond the two countries’ bilateral relationship.
The G7 members recently called for unimpeded access for aid workers to Ethiopia’s Tigray region. They also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from the Ethiopian borders, and a peaceful solution to the armed conflict.
Early this week the Ethiopian government, following a request from the Tigray Interim Administration, declared a sudden unilateral ceasefire for “humanitarian purposes” and immediately withdrew its forces from the mainlands of the regional state.
After federal forces left the region, the TPLF-forces, rebranded themselves as Tigray Defense Forces (TDF), took control of urban centers of the regional state.
This was amid the sixth Ethiopian general election which took the attention of the public and media outlets. In effect, the post-election process was significantly forgotten by the media and people’s minds.
The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.), gave a speech this week regarding the situation in Tigray and why his forces withdrew from the region.
The PM said that he left the region partly due to pressures and sanctions. He told journalists that bank accounts belonging to the Ethiopian government have been frozen in the US and Germany.
Abiy stated that the region and its capital, Mekelle, is no longer the center of gravity for conflicts, clarifying that the rebel forces are no more militarily and economically a threat to the federal government, reinstating a non-existent threat.
The TPLF-led forces spokesman Getachew Reda refused the Prime Minister’s claim calling it a “lie” and stated that the Ethiopian federal army lost fresh fittings and was forced to leave Tigray.
The Eritrean troops who were camped in the Ethiopian borders also withdrew.
The unilateral truce and withdrawal of forces from the region were welcomed by the international community including the European Union, United Kingdom, and the US. They urged all parties to adopt the ceasefire initiative and make similar announcements.
The US State Department said in a statement that the unilateral ceasefire could be a positive step if it brought about conditions to end the conflict, stop atrocities, and allow unhindered humanitarian aid. The statement called on all parties of the armed conflict to commit to the ceasefire proposal.
The UN said that the impact of the ceasefire remained unclear.
The TPLF-forces have rejected the call for a ceasefire and threatened to advance to the Amhara regional state and Eritrea if it was necessary to weaken enemy forces and “degrade enemy fighting capabilities”.
The Amhara ruling party, Prosperity Party, issued a statement warning TPLF forces against attempts to retake Welkait Tsegede, Tselemti, and Raya and stated that they will pay a price to defend the territories.
The Eritrean Minister of Information, Yemane Gebremeskel, responding to the statement by the TPLF spokesperson, stated on Twitter that the TPLF has failed to learn from its “military debacles” during the Ethio-Eritrean war, following the no war-no-peace situation, and the recent armed clash.
The refusal of the armistice proposal and threat to enter the Amhara region and Eritrea by the TPLF left the hope for negotiation and peace in the dark.
Communications such as phone lines and internet service and electric power supplies have been stopped in the region. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), a UN body formed to address emergency and humanitarian needs, fuel and cash shortages are unfolding in the region, inflaming the existing dire humanitarian situation.
On July 1, 2021, the bridge that connects over the Tekeze river was blown up, further aggravating humanitarian conditions as it was a vital entry point from Gonder and Sudan to North-Western and Central TigrayPrime Minister Abiy stated that huge costs and popular resistance are among the reasons for the ceasefire and army withdrawal. He said that his administration incurred more than 100 billion Birr apart from military operation costs. He said the government needed to emphasize other national priorities. The Ethiopian army withdrew to the neighboring Amhara and Afar regions. Prime Minister Abiy said that they were giving the Tigray people meditation time” to think if it benefits from the TPLF.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the ENDF gave a joint press briefing on June 30, 2021. MoFA’s state minister Redwan Hussien explained during the briefing that his government had declared a ceasefire and had withdrawn forces to address the major concerns of the international community. The spokesperson said that the Ethiopian army can retake the regional capital within three weeks if needed.
Getachew Reda vowed that TPLF forces will not stop its offensive until they “control” all Tigrayan territories referring to western, northwestern, and southern Tigray which are now under the control of the Amhara regional forces. This may invoke a fresh military skirmish on these contested territories. Resumption of fighting is more likely in the western Tigray areas which could be the only choice for the TPLF for outlets via the Port of Sudan.
Since the existing FDRE constitution was enacted in 1995, Ethiopia has held six general elections in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021. The then Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party dominated the last five elections, securing the majority of the seats in the House of People Representatives and regional state councils. Many say that the 2005 election was more democratic than the previous ones.
The elections in 1995 and 2000 were known for harassment of opposition parties. Prominent and influential political parties and figures boycotted the polls, losing hope in the process. The 2005 elections were deemed to be fair and free as the ruling EPRDF showed a commitment to open the election for international observers and consider the requests from opposition parties. However, the election did not yield the expected outcome as the opposition parties and the ruling party ran into a dispute. It was followed by violence and hostilities directed at political figures. Many politicians were arrested while the remaining fled from the country.
During the 2015 general elections, the election board announced that the ruling party EPRDF had won 100 percent of the parliamentary seats. But it was followed by popular protests and chaos.
In addition to the socio-economic problems and the political crisis, people were discontented with the regime. The continuous unrest and youth movement that emerged to massive violence led the former Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, to resign. This paved the way for Abiy Ahmed who assumed office in 2018.
One of the applaudable achievements of Abiy Ahmed was reforming the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), which was criticized for being untrustworthy and affiliated with the ruling party.
The latest elections were supposed to be held in 2020. However, they were pushed to 2021 due to the outbreak of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
A few days ago, the 2021 general elections were held in 440 constituencies out of the 547 constituencies. Second-round elections are expected to be held in early September. The elections held in June were appreciated by many for being fairer than the previous ones, regardless of complaints and other irregularities.
The 2021 National Election and Course of Disinformation
In this era, where social, economical, and political activities are highly affected by the digital world, information disorder is becoming a sad reality. As social media and the internet are considered the leading sources of information, tampering with news is becoming common and widely practiced.
Most of the time elections are followed with both mis- and disinformation during pre-election and post-election periods. Usually, disinformation happens due to the information gap from stakeholders and by those who intentionally disseminate false information. In the following article, HaqCheck analyzed the trend that was observed during the election held on June 21.
Pre-election:
Fabricated content like the 14 pages false document, which was disseminated by The Finfine Intercept station, is one of them. This Facebook page claims that the document is a security analysis prepared by Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party, aka EZEMA. The document raised a dispute between political parties, where the Freedom and Equality party asked for an explanation and later Ethiopian citizens for social justice announced saying “the document doesn’t represent EZEMA and EZEMA doesn’t know about it”.
Fake accounts and pages by the name of political parties, candidates, and politicians were used to deceive and mislead the public. Facebook also announced it had removed a network of fake accounts in Ethiopia targeting domestic users ahead of the election. About 65 Facebook accounts, 52 Pages, 27 Groups, and 32 accounts on Instagram, linked to individuals associated with the Information Network Security Agency of Ethiopia, were removed. This was due to the violation of the Facebook inauthenticity coordinated behavior policy, according to Facebook’s statement.
Manipulation of media content was the other face of the disinformation trend during the pre-election. The audio that was released on May 3 is a good example. In the “leaked audio” Prime Minister Abiy is heard addressing a Prosperity Party executive committee meeting on May 27. The Haqcheck team has investigated the audio and ascertained it was a manipulated one which was made by assembling different sound bites.
During and post-election
Misleading information about the election and with different formats was observed sporadically on the day of the election.
CNN’s article, titled ”Voting underway in Ethiopia amid conflict and a raging humanitarian crisis”, published on the election day, referred to a tweet from an account by the name of Merera Gudina, chairman of OFC. But neither the account nor the ideas in the article were Merera’s. A few hours after the story was published, CNN made a correction on it.
(Image: part of the article before the correction)
Manipulated images were also used, to misinform the public, like the Facebook post claiming to show the election center in the western Shoa zone Liban Jawi Woreda Burqa kebele was controlled by Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
There was a tweet circulating following the death of John Marsh (Ph.D.), Program Manager of Ethiopia for the Carter’s Program. The tweet reads “Just in time Election observers (foreigner) is killed at Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa. Surrounded by security forces, high tension in the area”. But on June 23, after the medical investigation by St. Paul hospital, the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission stated that Dr. Marsh’s death was confirmed as a natural death.
During the post-election period, complaints have been presented and posted on social media. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) received complaints from parties. The NEBE responded to some of the complaints.
Voting, Vote Counting, and Announcement
Balderas for the genuine democracy party filed a complaint claiming that there have been complaints about the result announcement processes and that the papers posted were blurred. NEBE said that it had conducted investigations and electoral officers were counting the votes and reaffirming whether or not there is a problem regarding the results.
The Party also said that Balderas’ results had intentionally been reduced. NEBE responded that this was fake news.
The party also complained about the vote-counting process.
The party had complained that polling stations had been closed early while voters were lined up to vote and said that it was totally unacceptable.
Illegal Polling Stations
There was also a statement by Balderas for genuine democracy that polling stations had been established in the capital without the knowledge and recognition of NEBE. But NEBE refuted this and said every polling station has a code to identify them. NEBE also admitted that there had been two polling stations found without code but they were given a code later on and are eligible to host voting.
In the following days, there was an allegation on social media that ballot boxes were found filled with votes in ten polling stations in Dessie town. The chairwoman of the electoral board said that it was not true but there was some error concerning technical issues and the boxes had been quarantined.
Even though NEBE has banned announcing results before the final announcement there were many unconfirmed reports on social media regarding election results in various electoral regions.
Gamo Zone Forged Paper
There was an allegation on social media that a fake or forged ballot paper was found in a voter’s pocket in Gamo Zone, SNNPR. The zonal police investigated and later announced that the paper that was found was a paper previously used by NEBE for voters’ education and training.
Conclusion
Even though relevant authorities responded to claims, the disinformation had an impact on the electoral process to some degree. It included damaging the reputation of candidates and parties, as well as putting the credibility of NEBE at stake. Due to the false information that was circulating, voters felt tense and were intimidated. The controversies and the shortage of information also mislead the public.
As it’s known, some parts of the country that didn’t vote on June 21 will have an election in September. So, to ward off the disinformation and its consequences on the coming election, the Board is expected to give information at a much faster pace to minimize the impact that could be caused by the information gap.
HaqCheck recommends that the public and particularly social media users need to confirm information they come across, from credible sources mainly from the relevant stakeholders. Before sharing or reacting to misleading or unconfirmed content, they should cross-check the claims from credible media or concerning organizations.
Even though Facebook stated that it is making efforts to detect and remove hate speech, content that incites violence, and to reduce the spread of misinformation, the way it was doing it lacks transparency. HaqCheck believes such kind of information should be well communicated with local initiatives that work on countering disinformation. The big content platforms should support and work with local fact-checkers more, to minimize the damages of disinformation.
HaqCheck will also try to follow up on different claims that mislead the public or jeopardize the upcoming election.
Ethio-telecom, the sole state-run telecommunication service provider, has been launching its 4G LTE Advanced Network service across various regions of the country over the last couple of months. Up until June 15, 2021, 53 cities including Addis Ababa got 4G LTE advanced network access. The service was first launched in Addis Ababa a year and a half ago while Oromia Regional State became the first outside of the capital city to receive coverage. Most of the regions in the country, except for Tigray, have now got access.
4G network stands for the fourth-generation network while LTE refers to Long-Term Evolution (LTE). The new service launched by Ethio-telecom, 4G LTE Advanced (also known as LTE-A), is an advanced combination of the two, which is faster than standard 4G. Another way of comparing it is to think of it being a half step between 4G and 5G.
4G LTE Advanced Network does everything 3G and 4G can do but is much faster. It handles high-definition mobile TV, videoconferencing, and other data-intensive applications. If you watch YouTube videos, stream Spotify, and rely on an extensive array of internet-connected applications daily, 4G is a must. 3G is mostly used with mobile phones as a means of connecting to the Internet. Most applications for routine internet activities such as GPS, weather, email, and social networking work fine on a 3G connection.
However, following the launch of the service, there have been complaints from users claiming the service is not properly working in some regional cities and is not much better than the previous 3G service. HaqCheck has analyzed the issue.
HaqCheck spoke with Gadise Kumela, a supervisor at Ethio telecom, and said that she had heard different complaints from many customers who claim they are not able to use the 4G LTE-Advanced network.
She emphasized that users need to switch their SIM cards from 3G to 4G. She also explained that users need to change their phone devices to support the 4G LTE-Advanced network.
Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio telecom, also made the same point in her presentation at the southeastern region 4G LTE-Advanced network launching the program on February 18, 2021.
Ethio telecom explains on its website that users can change their 3G SIM card to a 4G one for free.
HaqCheck published in June 2021 an alert about a scam that was circulating on email, social media, and messaging apps about a Coca-Cola welfare fund. The link invites you to provide your own personal details on a survey to ‘win’ a prize.
Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone, or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking, and credit card details and passwords.
HaqCheck has now observed similar links using different well-known corporations to claim prizes. Given that this tactic is on the increase we analyzed how the public can protect themself from these kinds of scams.
Most of the time, scammers use online surveys to scrape sensitive personal or financial information. This data can be used to commit identity theft or to be sold to a third party. Either way, they’re making money.
They use malicious links which are created to promote scams, attacks, and fraud.
By clicking on an infected URL, malware can be downloaded such as a Trojan or virus which can then take control of your devices. You also might be persuaded to part with sensitive information on a fake website. Phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, has been mentioned above and another popular tactic to get you to give up passwords or personal information about yourself.
Hiskias Dingeto, a cybersecurity expert and P.H.D candidate at Dongguk University in South Korea, defines phishing as “making a website to deceive a user or to get the users personal information”.
As Hiskias explains, the phishers usually copy the whole website of a legitimate body with a different URL (Uniform Resource Locator, which incorporates the domain name, along with other detailed information), to create a complete web address. “After you give your credentials (email and password) they use it for their own benefit,” he added, “it is the easiest way to attack people”.
How to spot a potential scam?
Phishing emails and text messages may look like or pretend to be from a company you know or trust. They seem too good to be true, with eye-catching or attention-grabbing statements. They often say there’s a problem or a prize to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. They have a sense of urgency, pressuring you to act immediately and sometimes giving you a time limit or a deadline. They might claim that you use their services (such as a bank or postal service) but you have never used them before.
How to avoid such scams?
Check the web address (URL) and domains. Stay alert and be skeptical, know who your providers are, and cross-check from the impersonated organization. Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Resist the pressure to act immediately, take your time to check and cross-check the entity of the sender. Do not click on links or open any attachments or pop-up screens from sources you are not familiar with. Read the site’s privacy policies because most scammers do not have any privacy policy on what they are going to with your information. Most organizations realize the potential for scamming and now don’t request confidential data online. So don’t offer up anything about yourself, even your mother’s maiden name. You can also contact the organization independently if you have any doubts.
Besides checking and cross-checking the URL and the domain of the sender, Hiskias also recommends you check whether the website uses HTTP or HTTPS.
HTTP has been the standard protocol for transferring hypertext documents on the Web but HTTPS is a more secure version – a combination of the HTTP with the Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Most trustworthy companies use this now so beware if you see an HTTP link.
He emphasizes “when using your browser notice if there is a locked key sign on the address bar: which means the website is secured or it uses HTTPS”.
Recently images showing military aircraft and an airforce operation have been circulating across social media platforms, particularly on Facebook. On 13 June 2021, a Facebook post by Mekseb Tewahdo (an account with 1,558 friends) shared two images with a note that says Ethiopian and Eritrean armies were dropping white phosphorus against civilians in Abi Adi, Tenben on June 13, 2021. The post also claims that so far two children and a mother have died due to the attack. Over 430 accounts have shared this post.
On the same day, another Facebook page dubbed Tigrai Online, which has over 122,293 followers, shared these two images to support a claim that the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies were bombing Abi Adi, Tenben using cluster bombs and white phosphorus and killed two and injured one person. An hour later, the post was edited, adding that the images used are old. But it had already misled many, as the post was shared more than 1500 times.
HaqCheck has investigated the images and the posts, confirming that the pictures do not show either Ethiopian or Eritrean armies bombing Tigray using white phosphorus or cluster bombs. HaqCheck has rated the post as FALSE due to the usage of inaccurate and old images.
Since 4 November 2020, there has been armed fighting between TPLF-led regional and Federal government-led forces in Tigray. The federal army has controlled major areas in Tigray, but there have been reports of armed conflicts and guerilla attacks in the region. On May 23, 2021, The Daily Telegraph, a London-based newspaper came out with a story that it found exclusive footage and accounts of witnesses and victims that suggest the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies may have used powerful incendiary weapons including white phosphorus in civilian areas. On the same day, the Ethiopian Ministry of Affairs (MoFA) issued a statement denying the use of chemical weapons in Tigray. It said, “Ethiopia has not employed and will never use such banned munitions because it takes its international obligations under the chemical weapons convention extremely seriously.”
Against this backdrop, the Facebook posts claimed that the Ethiopian and Eritrean armies are bombing Abi Adi, Tigray using white phosphorus and cluster bombs.
However, a Google reverse image search shows that the images don’t back the claim. The first image shows white phosphorus rained from a weapon on August 3, 2013, during a live-fire exercise in Australia. Here is the link to the original image. The second image shows an aircraft that belongs to the Uzbekistan Airforce during operation. The image was first published on Facebook on January 18, 2020. The original post related to the image can be accessed with the following link.
Granted, there have been unconfirmed allegations that the Ethiopian army may use chemical weapons including white phosphorus in Tigray. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the post and the images and confirmed that the images don’t confirm the claim. HaqCheck has therefore rated the post as FALSE due to inaccurate usage of the images.
Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak
Edited by: Fasika Tadesse
The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.
Recently an image that shows a man in military wear has been circulating across social media platforms, particularly on Facebook. On 09 June 2021 a Facebook post by the name Dade Desta (an account with 24,616 followers) shared an image claiming that the man is an Eritrean soldier. It was shared by over 45 accounts. On 10 June 2021 a Facebook page by the name Qeerroo Intelligence Group (with 7,818 followers) posted the image with Afaan Oromo text that reads “the man is Sisay Tesfabirhan, one of the hundreds of thousands of Eritrean [Shabia] soldiers that are captured in Oromia by the Oromo Liberation Army (WBO)”. The Facebook post was shared by over 102 accounts.
HaqCheck has investigated the image and the posts, confirming that the picture is not of an Eritrean soldier captured in Oromia. HaqCheck has rated the posts as FALSE due to the usage of an inaccurate image.
Since 4 November 2020 there has been armed fighting between TPLF-led regional forces and Federal government-led forces in Tigray. There is also conflict in western parts of Oromia with unproven reports that the government is fighting the Oromo Liberation Army in Wellega. Amidst such reports, allegations have surfaced that the Eritrean army has dispatched its troops to Oromia and are fighting armed groups in the regional state.
It is against this backdrop that the Facebook posts emerged claiming that the man is one of the hundreds of thousands of Eritrean troops captured by the Oromo Liberation Army in Oromia.
However, a Google reverse image search shows that the image is actually a Somali blogger named Muuse Muudey. The image was cropped from a picture that shows him and a woman who people claim is his ex-wife. It was first published on Somali Post, an online information site on 15 April 2020. Here is also one of his videos on YouTube criticising Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmaajo), President of Somalia. The original post related to the image can be accessed with the following link.
Granted, there have been unconfirmed allegations that Eritrean troops are deployed in Oromia and fighting armed groups in Wollega. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the posts and the image and confirmed that it doesn’t show an Eritrean soldier captured by the Oromo Liberation Army. HaqCheck has therefore rated the post FALSE due to inaccurate usage of the image.
Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak
Edited by: Fasika Tadesse
The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.
On June 02, 2021, the Addis Ababa City Administration inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Property 2000, a South African firm that claims to be a real estate agent, to construct 500,000 houses in Addis Ababa in five years period. They agreed that the company would construct half a million housing units in the city with 4.2 billion US dollars. It was announced that the full cost of the construction of the houses will be covered by Property 2000 and the city administration will provide the company with construction sites along with the necessary infrastructures and grant the company a duty-free privilege to import inputs.
Is it 4.2 Billion Birr or US Dollars?
Different media outlets reported the budget differently. Some said it is 4.2 billion US dollars and some of them stated that it is 4.2 billion Birr. Fana Broadcasting Corporate and Borkena reported that it is Ethiopian Birr while the Ethiopian News Agency says it is US dollars. Adanech Abiebie, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa announced that it is 4.2 billion US dollars.
The budget seems exaggerated. The budget, 4.2 billion US dollars is almost equal to the initial project value of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
The MoU was signed by Adanech Abeibei, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, and Napo Eddie Modise, Chairperson of the company. The company chairman promised to hand over 100,000 houses within a year. During the ceremony, the deputy mayor said that the houses will be handed over to low and middle-income residents with loans at a one percent interest rate to be paid in 30 years.
The Deputy Mayor tweeted, announcing she signed the MoU with the South African company for the construction of half a million houses. However, the tweet by the Deputy Mayor Adanech Abiebie was deleted from Twitter for unknown reasons. The news still remained published on other media outlets.
Who is Property 2000?
Property 2000 claims it has secured several major lucrative developing projects with funding supplied by International and local funders. But only very little is known of the company’s background and track record. According to the South African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) portal, Property 2000 was registered in 2018.
Last year the Lesotho Ministry of Finance canceled a loan deal with Property 2000. The Ministry and Property 2000 signed a deal that the latter would lend 2.45 billion South African Rand to finance the construction of sports facilities. It was reported that Property 2000 didn’t have the money but to source the loans from Grissag AG, an investment company based in South Africa.
The Lesotho Ministry of Finance broke the loan agreement due to suspicious linkage of Property 2000 to Grissag AG which has a contagious credit history. Grissag AG has been involved in many shady contracts.
The Public Debt Management Directorate of Lesotho hasn’t given detailed information about its previous projects to prove the capacity to fulfill the contract. The Directorate concluded that the company has no credible previous projects. Khotso Moleleki, Lesotho Public Debt Management Director said that the company talked about projects in Malawi, DRC, and Ethiopia, but all the information was sketchy and no successfully funded projects could be traced.
The director of Property 2000 Modise responded to the allegation, refusing the claim by the directorate.
The website of Property 2000 is incomplete and seems made in a rush. It doesn’t have detailed information about the background and track record of the company.
On June 8, 2021, the Addis Ababa Housing Development and Administration Bureau gave a press briefing about the framework agreement with the South African company. The Bureau said that the allegations regarding Property 2000 are unfounded and the agreement was signed after it proved the track record of the company. It stated that the company has over 31 years of experience in the sector.
The housing shortage has been a major problem in the city for a long time. In the capital alone, over 650,000 residents have been registered so far and are waiting for condo houses. The government has been projecting many schemes in a bid to solve the shortage of houses by constructing condo houses, including the 20/80 condominium project launched in 2013.
Three years ago the Addis Ababa City Administration and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) inaugurated a 56 billion Birr housing project to be built in the Leghare area. The construction was given to a Dubai-based company, Eagle Hills.
The ambitious project, which is to be laid on 36 hectares of land, was said, it would create 25,000 jobs.
It was announced that the project was expected to be completed in two years. But not much about the status and progress of the housing project is known even three years later.
Deputy Mayor Adanech Abiebie in a long article posted on Facebook on June 9, 2021, criticized the allegations and backlash against the project. She announced that the government has got evidence that reveals the company has many years of experience in the real estate development sector in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, and many other countries and has opened a new company, called ‘Property 2000 Ethiopia’ in Ethiopia.
Representatives from the Addis Ababa City Administration did not respond to an inquiry from Haqcheck until this analysis was published.
