Fact Checks

There was a Facebook post on April 3 2021 by a Facebook page named Sidaama Today (a page with more than 22,000 followers).  The picture posted showed a lot of Tanks and Air Force with a text written that reads “ Breaking News, An Armed Eritrean opposition group attacked the SAWA Defence Training Center in the Gash-Barka region of Eritrea a few hours ago. Several Ethiopian & Eritrean soldiers were killed and wounded. Eritrean government did not respond to requests for comment on this situation.’’ HaqCheck interrogated the post and concluded the post is FALSE due to the inaccuracy of the images to support the claim. 

  

Granted, there has been conflict in the Tigray region between the Federal government and the TPLF led Tigray special police force and militia since 4 November 2020. There have also been reports claiming Eritrean soldiers have been involved in the military operation in Tigray supporting the federal government. Despite these claims, however, the Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied that Eritrean forces were involved in the military operation for a long time. However, on the sixth working year, 11th sessions of the House of peoples’ representative held on 23 March 2021, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D) stated in a parliamentary session that Eritrean troops had entered Tigray during the government’s “rule of law” Operation in Tigray, provoked by rocket attacks aimed at Asmara by TPLF forces. As the Prime Minister clarified, the Eritrean government crossed Ethiopian borders in order to prevent further attacks and maintain its national security. Following this,  on 26 March 2021, during the prime minister’s visit to Eritrea, it was announced that the government of Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border. There were also unproven claims that an armed force named  Eritrean Movement For Justice carried out an attack targeting 150 Ethiopian soldiers who were taking training in Sawa Training camp of Eritrea on 29 March 2021. 

It is in this context that the image was shared claiming the Eritrean opposition forces attacked the Eritrean military training center in SAWA, killing and injuring Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers. However, a reverse image search of the picture used in the Facebook post doesn’t prove the claim. The image was first posted on TesfaNews, Eritrean news and information website, on 16 August 2020 with a story of how National service is a guarantee for Eritreans national security and development and was taken at the annual National service program, while the military was performing a military show. The original post related to the image can be found with the following link. 

Despite there being unproven claims that an attack was carried out targeting Ethiopian soldiers who were taking training in Sawa Training camp of Eritrea, HaqCheck has interrogated the post and confirmed that the image doesn’t show an armed Eritrean group that attacked Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers at SAWA defense training of Eritrea, therefore, rendering the post as FALSE due to the inaccuracy of the image to support the claim.

Fact checked by: Endalkachew Teka

Edited by: Rehobot Ayalew

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, run by its R&D Department.

 

On 22 March 2021, a Facebook post by the name of Andinet Zeleke Bekele claimed that the European Union (EU) has sanctioned higher Eritrean officials due to human rights violations during the ongoing armed conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray regional state. The text written in Amharic reads “… it was reported that the sanction has been imposed on these higher officials and institutions because of serious violations of human rights and abuses…” However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the EU sanctioned the Eritrean official, along with other countries’ officials for ‘domestic human rights violations, not for claimed violations in other countries. Therefore, HaqCheck has rated the post FALSE due to inaccurate information.

Since the war broke out in Tigray between the federal government and a Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF)-loyal forces, there have been many claims and reports that the Eritrean army has joined the military operation supporting the Ethiopian federal government’s forces. 

The Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied the involvement of Eritrean forces in the ongoing armed conflict in Tigray. Ambassador Dina Mufti, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, said in a press briefing on 20 January 2021 that the Eritrean troops’ deployment to the border areas is expected to protect their borders as the TPLF-led forces had been firing rockets to Eritrea to regionalize the conflict.

Despite the denial, many third parties had claimed that Eritrean forces were in Tigray fighting against the pro-TPLF forces. Amnesty International further came out with a report of civilians mass-killing in the city of Axum by Eritrean troops.

The United States State Department has been calling for the ‘immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces’ from Tigray. On 05 February, the US Embassy in Asmera, Eritrea, stated that it had asked the Eritrean government to withdraw its forces from Tigray. However, Eritrea denied the Eritrean army’s involvement in the Tigray armed crisis stating the US embassy’s statement in Asmera unwarranted and grounded on false and presumptive allegations.

On 18 March 2021, the US State Department issued a press statement by Antonio Blinken, US state secretary,  and called for immediate withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray.

Recently, Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.), Ethiopian Prime Minister has admitted that Eritrean soldiers entered Tigray. He arrived in Asmara and upon his return home said that the Eritrean government agreed to pull out its soldiers from the Ethiopian borders. Last week,  the Group 7 countries called for a swift and verifiable withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Tigray. Ethiopia said last Saturday that Eritrean troops have already started to evacuate.

However, Eritrea has confirmed neither the involvement and entrance of its troops to Tigray nor the troops withdrawal from the border in Ethiopia.

Amid this situation, the European Union has imposed a sanction travel ban and asset freeze on Major General Abraha Kassa, head of the Eritrean National Security Office for alleged serious human rights violations in Eritrea, in particular arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons and torture committed by the Office’s agents.

Thus, the claim that the Eritrean higher officer is sanctioned due to human rights abuses in other countries is FALSE. It is due to alleged domestic human rights violations and other alleged crimes. Therefore, HaqCheck has rated the post “FALSE” due to inaccurate information.

Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak

Edited by: Eden Tafese

The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.

On 29 March 2021, a Facebook post by the name Nahoo Media emerged, claiming that the US has banned senior Ethiopian and Eritrean officials from attending any international meeting. However HaqCheck looked into the post and confirmed the information is not true, Therefore rendered the post as FALSE.

Granted, Ethiopia is amidst an armed conflict between the federal government and TPLF-led armed forces. The US recently called for the immediate cease of fighting in Tigray. The American state secretary Antonio Bllinken called for an immediate end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Amhara and Eritrean forces from Tigray. However, on 23 March 2021 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph. D) admitted in a parliamentary session that Eritrean troops had entered Tigray and, it was announced on 26 March 2021, that the government of Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border. Following that in the Department’s press briefing held on 26 March 2020, it was announced that the administration has been encouraged by Prime Minister Abiy’s announcement. On 29 March 2020, the US secretary Antonio Blinken had a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. They discussed efforts in Ethiopia to secure greater humanitarian access across the country, the necessity for Eritrean forces to withdraw from Tigray, and the need for independent, international investigations into human rights abuses while noting the recent travel of Senator Christopher Coons as President Biden’s emissary.

However, HaqCheck has looked into the claim and checked all the recent announcements and press briefing given by the U.S. administration regarding Ethiopia and Eritrea and couldn’t find any related information about the issue. HaqCheck has also contacted the US Embassy in Ethiopia via Email and confirmed, from its Spokesperson, that the information is not true and that the U.S. has not banned Ethiopian and Eritrean officials from attending any international meetings, therefore rendering the post as FALSE.

Fact checked by: Rehobot Ayalew

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, run by its R&D Department.

 

On 29 March 2021, a Facebook post by the name Nahoo Media ናሁ ሚድያ (a page with more than 33,700 followers) shared an image that shows many soldiers along with a line of caskets with the Eritrean flag on it.  The text which is written in Amharic reads “ .. Leaving Tigray is not as easy as entering.” The picture was also circulating on other pages like Sidaama Today (a page with more than 18,500 followers) with different captions and the same context. The Amharic text written in the post reads “The Eritrean government is forcing 16-year-olds to go to war. It is not to be forgotten that the Eritrean army is dying in the war in Tigray.” However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show the Eritrean military being killed by Tigray special forces. Therefore, HaqCheck has rendered the post as FALSE due to the inaccuracy of the images to support the claim.

Granted, there has been conflict in the Tigray region between the Federal government and the TPLF led Tigray special police force and militia since 4 November 2020. There have also been reports claiming Eritrean soldiers have been involved in the military operation in Tigray supporting the federal government. Despite these claims, however, the Ethiopian government has repeatedly denied that Eritrean forces were involved in the military operation for a long time. However, On six working year 11th sessions of the House peoples’ representative held on 23 March 2021 Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (P.h.d) stated in a parliamentary session that Eritrean troops had entered Tigray during the government’s “rule of law” Operation in Tigray, provoked by rocket attacks aimed at Asmara by TPLF forces. As the prime minister clarified, the Eritrean government crossed Ethiopian borders in order to prevent further attacks and maintain its national security. Following this,  on 26 March 2021, during the prime minister’s visit to Eritrea, it was announced that the government of Eritrea has agreed to withdraw its forces out of the Ethiopian border.

It is in this context that the image was shared claiming the Eritrean army is being killed by Tigray regional special forces. However, a reverse image search of the picture used in the Facebook post doesn’t prove the claim. The image was first posted on Adal voice, an Eritrean online news outlet, on 19 June 2013 with a story of remembrance of Eritrean Army “Martyrs’ Day”. The original post related to the image can be found with the following link.

It is true that the government admitted Eritrean soldiers entered to Ethiopian border during the recent war in Tigray. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image doesn’t show the Eritrean army killed in Tigray, therefore, rendering the post as FALSE due to the inaccuracy of the  image to support the claim.

Fact checked by: Endalk Teka

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, run by its R&D Department.

 

On 24 March 2021, a Facebook post named Abebe Gobeze (a personal blog with 7,609 followers) shared an image that shows fire and explosion with the claim that Sudanese army troops destroyed an agro-industry with fire in Gondar. The text written in Amharic reads, “Breaking news: the Sudanese army further entered 60km to Western Gondar and destroyed an agro-processing factory. The invading Sudanese army is looting and destroying our peoples’ properties and wealth. Unless a solution is found for this invading force, it is marching to central Gondar. Since it attacked the Amhara special [police] force yesterday, the area is filled with tension…” However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show the Sudanese army destroying an agro-processing factory in Western Gondar. Therefore, HaqCheck has rendered the post as FALSE due to an inaccurate image to support the claim.

There have been armed clashes around the Ethio-Sudanese border since November 2020. The Sudan Armed Forces stated that they reclaimed territory in the Salam Bir and Mahaj areas in El Gedaref from the Ethiopian army and armed militias. On 31 December 2020, Omar Qamareddine, Sudanese foreign minister, declared restoration and full control over all territories along the Ethio-Sudanese border taken over by Ethiopian farmers. The countries have been in talks and negotiations to settle the issue and demarcate the boundary despite being in vain. Recently, Sudan has accepted an offer by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to mediate with Ethiopia over the contested territories.

In this context, the image was shared claiming the Sudanese army smashed an agro-manufacturing industry in west Gondar. However, a reverse image search of the Facebook post’s picture doesn’t prove the claim. The image was taken from a video done by Reuters that shows fire destroying thousands of homes in the Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh on 22 March 2021. The original post related to the image can be with the following link.

There have been armed conflicts along with the border areas between Ethiopian and Sudanese forces indeed. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show the Sudanese army destroying an agro-processing factory in west Gondar, therefore, rendering the post FALSE due to the usage of an inaccurate image to support the claim.

Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, run by its R&D Department.

On 22 March 2021, Albe Madana Ganasha, a Facebook user with more than 5000 friends, posted a photo of armed men and three people tied with a rope to a pole. The text written in Amharic reads, “If the government has the power, It should fix the situation and calm the country!  A country without a leader is ugly! It is boring !! This is the injustice of Wollo!!”. However, HaqCheck interrogated the post and confirmed that the image did not show people being killed in Wollo and rated it as FALSE.
 

There are Reports of an armed conflict broke out around areas bordering Northern Shoa, Ataye, and Oromia special administrative zone, Jile Timuga, since 19 March 2021. One of the reasons for the conflict is the death of one person due to a conflict between two people on 18 March 2021. As reports say, the conflict is becoming out of control and spreading to other parts of the area. In a statement given by the Amhara regional state on 21 March 2021, the regional state blamed the OLF Shene armed groups and their supporters for the death of innocent people and damaged properties in the conflict. 

However, a reverse image search of the picture used in the Facebook post shows that the image was taken on 29 Nov 2020. The photo was circulating in different Somali news outlets saying the three people in the picture tied to a pole were members of the terrorist group Alshabab. They confessed their terrorist act in front of the Somali military court. The reports show that the picture was taken around General Kahiye police academy in Mogadishu, Somalia. The armed people wearing uniforms in the second picture show the military force executing the death penalty the terrorists were sentenced. 

Original picture

Granted, there has been armed conflict in the Northern Shoa zone since 19 March 2021. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the Facebook post and confirmed that the picture doesn’t show people being killed in Wollo, therefore rendered the post FALSE due to usage of inaccurate images to support the claim.

Fact checked by: Endalkachew Teka

Edited by: Rehobot Ayalew 

The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking initiative, which its R&D Department runs.

A post by a Facebook page named Nahoo Media with more than 32,100 followers, claimed that the European Union (EU) chief Charles Michel told Deutsche Welle that the EU would take legal action against protesters in any European country that would support the “Genocide.” The text was written in Amharic and said it was Breaking news. HaqCheck has interrogated the post and confirmed that the Facebook post is FALSE. 

The European Union(EU) has been reflecting its concern about Tigray’s conflict since the war started in November 2020. Josep Borrell, High Representative and Vice President of the EU, gave statements on Nov 09, 2020, and Dec 3, 2020, conveying the EU’s concern regarding peace and stability of the broader region, suggesting that dialogue is the only way to move forward. 

In other statements, the EU has stressed that Humanitarian access and assistance should be allowed to reach all areas in Tigray, protection of civilians and refugees should be guaranteed.  Eritrean troops should withdraw from Ethiopia, access to international media to Tigray must be authorized, and local journalists must be protected, Eu Added. “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, all crimes against civilians and call for perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice,” says Josep Borrell in another statement given on 26 Feb 2021, addressing the level of suffering endured by civilians based on the report by Amnesty International. EU envoys went to Mekelle, Tigray, on 10 March 2021 and had a meeting with the Tigray interim administration. 

There were also rallies by Ethiopians and Eritreans in different parts of the world to support the “law enforcement” by the Ethiopian government, let the world know about the situation in Tigray, and address international media and organizations should not be one-sided.

However, Jozef  NAUDTS, the political officer of the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia, EU Council President Charles Michel made no such statements. “this information is not true,” said the political officer in the email he sent to HaqCheck.

Despite the EU’s consecutive statements stressing about the situation and the human rights violation in Tigray, HaqCheck confirmed that the EU didn’t state anything related to rallies in European countries and rendered the post FALSE.

Fact Checked by: Rehobot Ayalew

The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking running in five languages (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya, and English)

On 11 March 2021, a Facebook post by the name of Tedros Zeru (an account with over 4,595 friends) shared an image that shows numerous troops entering a plane with the claim that the US Military and Air Force has started a joint military exercise respectively with Egyptian and Sudanese soldiers. The text written in Tigrinya reads, “Senior US and Egyptian military officers have entered Sudan. According to our Sudan sources, the American military has started exercise in Sudan and the US Air Force and the Egyptians are conducting a joint military exercise. The span of Abiy [Ahmed] and Isaias [Afwerki] is being shortened and Russia and China are concerned…” However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show US armed forces conducting military exercise neither in Sudan nor in Egypt. Therefore, HaqCheck has rendered the post as FALSE due to the usage of an inaccurate image to support the claim.

Granted, Ethiopia is amid an armed conflict between the federal government and TPLF-led armed forces. The US recently called for the immediate cease of fighting in Tigray. The American state secretary Antonio Bllinken called for an immediate end to hostilities and the withdrawal of Amhara and Eritrean forces from Tigray. A week ago the UN Security Council held a session on the Tigray conflict and China, Russia and non-permanent member India refused  the Council’s call for an end to violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray.

In addition to that Ethiopia and Sudan are in dispute on un demarcated territories. Recently Sudan and Egypt have signed a military cooperation agreement which emerged amid the revived tensions between Ethiopia and the lower Nile riparian countries.

It is in this context that the image was shared claiming the US armed forces along with Sudanese and Egyptian armed forces have started joint military exercises. However, a reverse image search of the picture used in the Facebook post doesn’t prove the claim. The image was first posted on Dreamstime, an American online image site on 20 September 2019 and shows American paratroopers entering a US Air Force aircraft  in Eindhoven, the Netherlands military base. The original post related to the image can be with the following link.

Original Image

Therefore, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show American armed forces conducting joint military exercise along with Sudanese and Egyptian armies. Thus, HaqCheck rendered the post FALSE due to the usage of an inaccurate image to support the claim.

Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.

There was a Facebook post, on 9 March 2021, by a Facebook user named Dagnaw Tesfaye in ‘Seber Zena,’ a public group with more than 178,000 members, claiming that Debretsion and Getachew Reda overturned a ravine while trying to escape to Sudan by Car. The post claimed further  Getachew is Dead, and Debretsion is captured injured at that moment. Then it suggests visiting a telegram channel to see the whole story. HaqCheck interrogated the post and confirmed that the picture doesn’t show the claimed car overturned. Simultaneously, there is no related information about Getachew Reda and Debretsion G/Michael in the mentioned telegram Channel.

Since 4 November 2020, there has been armed fighting between the TPLF-led regional forces and Federal government-led forces in Tigray. The federal government has controlled the regional capital city, Mekelle, on 28 November 2020. It has also recently announced that it was rapidly capturing senior civil and military officers of the TPLF. Some of the senior civil and military leaders of the TPLF-led force have also been arrested. Some of them include influential members of the TPLF, Sebhat Nega, former President Abay Woldu, Deputy President of the Tigray Regional State Abrham Tekeste (PhD), and others. On 14 January 2021, ENDF gave a statement saying three TPLF officials, Abay Tsehaye- TPLF political leader, Seyoum Mesfin- former foreign minister, and Asmelash Woldeselassie- a member of the executive committee of the TPLF, and other former military members were killed. There were also some rumors and unproven social media appearances by Getachew Reda and Debretsion G/Michael.

However, a reverse image search of the picture shows that the image is taken from a 49 seconds long video on Facebook, posted on 19 September 2020. The video shows a truck going down a cliff road without being overturned. A text is written in Vietnamese that reads, “Looks hard but can also go,” as translated by google translate.

There is also a telegram link attached with a saying, “the whole information can be found in the link,” But any file related to the claim can not be found in the telegram channel.

Despite the fact that other TPLF leaders were captured and killed, there is still no public information about the whereabouts and the conditions of the two senior leaders of the political organization. HaqCheck confirmed that the pictures don’t show a car overturned in a ravine boarding Getachew and Debretsion to escape to Sudan, therefore rated the post FALSE due to incorrect usage of the picture to support the claim. 

Fact Checked by: Rehobot Ayalew

The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking running in five languages (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya, and English)

On 5 March 2020, a Facebook user named Natnael Mekonnen (with more than 238,000 followers) posted a picture of Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki claiming they went to Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The text written in Amharic reads “… Dr Abiy Ahmed and the Eritrean President arrived in Juba, South Sudan this afternoon. What the regional hegemon leaders are discussing?”. HaqCheck has interrogated the post and confirmed that the picture doesn’t show a recent event therefore rated it as FALSE.

Granted, there have been armed clashes along the Ethio-Sudanese borders since recently. There have been reports that the countries have been in talks and negotiations to settle the issue and demarcate the boundary. And On 22 December 2020 Demeke Mekonnen, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Ethiopia paid a visit to Khartoum to negotiate with Sudanese officials to delineate the shared borders. In a statement given on 18 February 2021 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government of Ethiopia calls upon African countries to advise the Sudanese government to finalize the border dispute through available mechanisms in a peaceful manner. There were also rumors and unproven reports that the leaders of Sudan and Ethiopia would separately travel to Juba to start peace talks in which the South Sudanese government claimed to mediate. It added that the Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s head of state will be meeting in the presence of the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

However, the picture that was posted on Facebook on 5 March 2021 was actually taken almost two years ago. The picture was first posted on 4 March 2019, by the official Facebook page of the Office of the Prime Minister-Ethiopia, along with 11 other pictures. The picture was taken after the Ethiopian prime minister’s visit to Eritrea was completed and immediately Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Isaias Afwerki went to Juba, South Sudan. As the office stated in the post, the purpose of the trip was to have a discussion on regional peace, economic ties, infrastructure development and other regional matters with President Salva Kiir and other senior government officials. 

Despite there being rumors and unproven reports that Sudan’s head of state Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed would meet the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to negotiate the Ethio-Sudanese border dispute, HaqCheck has interrogated the post and confirmed that the picture doesn’t show a recent visit  by PM Abiy and President Isaias, to South Sudan, therefore rated the post FALSE.

Fact Checked by: Rehobot Ayalew

The following article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact-checking running in five languages (Affan Oromo, Amharic, Somali, Tigrinya and English)