Fact Checks - Page 6 of 43

Does the image show an Ethiopian military tank destroyed by Fano militants in Motta?

A Facebook page with more than 46 thousand followers shared an image on Aug 9, 2023, claiming that the picture shows an Ethiopian military tank destroyed by Fano militia groups in the ongoing armed conflict in the Amhara regional state.

The post added that Ethiopian troops and their tanks were routed in Motta, East Gojjam zone of the Amhara region.

The Facebook post was viral on the platform and was shared 29 times by the time this article was published.

Haqcheck inspected the image and confirmed that the picture doesn’t support the claim. As a result, the claim was rated False.

On April 6, 2023, the Ethiopian federal government announced that it had decided to disarm regional special police forces. The government started to disband the regional paramilitary forces and has given the troops three choices to join: the military, regional police forces, or the federal police force.

Soon after this decision, instability stormed the Amhara regional state. There were widespread public protests opposing the decision of the federal government to dissolve regional special police forces.

Armed confrontations and clashes have taken place in the Amhara region. Armed conflict loomed the regional state.

The Fano militants took control of many areas including major cities in the region.

The federal government declared a state of emergency after the Amhara regional government asked for help from the government.

Reports indicate that many people have been killed in the conflict in the Amhara region.

A recent news report shows that 26 people were killed in a drone attack in the town of Finote Selam, in the West Gojam Zone of the region.

In this context, a Facebook post came out sharing an image with a claim that Fano militia groups destroyed Ethiopian army troops including tanks.

However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and found that the image doesn’t support the claim. The original image was found previously published on X (Twitter) on Aug 8, 2022, with a caption that the Russian army destroyed Ukrainian artillery vehicles in a recent battle.

Therefore, HaqCheck rendered the Facebook post False due to its usage of an inaccurate image.

Does the image show a recent aerial attack in Finote Selam?

A Facebook page with more than 40 thousand followers posted an image with a claim that the Ethiopian government recently carried out an aerial attack in Finote Selam and killed 270 civilians including children as young as three.

The Facebook post was viral on the platform and was shared close to 30 times and gained over 150 reactions by the time this article was published.

However, HaqCheck inspected the post and found that the image was old and doesn’t support the claim. Therefore, HaqCheck rendered the claim False.

Armed conflict between the government armed forces and Fano militia groups persisted in the Amhara region since the former ordered regional paramilitary forces to disarm and integrate into other security establishments such as the military, federal police, or regional police forces.

The Ethiopian federal government declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region after armed militia groups took control of many areas in the regional state.

On Aug 11, 2023, reports and social media posts indicated that the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region killed many people.

After a counteroffensive, the government managed to recapture major urban areas from Fano militants. However, reports indicate that armed clashes and confrontations continued in the region.

The Facebook post emerged against this backdrop sharing an image with a claim that the Ethiopian Air Force conducted an attack in the Finote Selam, West Gojjam Zone of Amhara region and killed 270 civilians.

To verify the claim, HaqCheck used a Google reverse image search. As a result, the image was found previously posted on Facebook on Jul 21, 2023.

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

August week two summary

Fano militants captured Ethiopian army soldiers

A Facebook page with over 300,000 followers shared an image claiming to show an Ethiopian army soldier who had recently surrendered to Fano militants. The post was shared close to 200 times and received over 1,700 reactions.

The claim came amid intensified fighting between the Ethiopian military and Fano insurgents in many parts of the Amhara region, including the regional capital, Bahir Dar. The Ethiopian government also stated that Fano militants had captured several major cities in the Amhara regional state.

HaqCheck applied a Google reverse image search on the image to verify the claim. The search result showed that the image was first published on X (Twitter) by a user on Jan 7, 2022.

The caption of the post reads, “Our heroes are falling for our freedom, peace, and safety, as well as for the sovereignty of our motherland Ethiopia, and wish them a happy holiday.” The original post on X was reposted close to 300 times. As a result, HaqCheck rated the Facebook post as False.

Fano militants reclaimed Delanta Woreda

A Facebook page with over 30,000 followers shared an image claiming that Fano militants had retaken control of the entire Delanta Woreda, including the town of Wegeltena, the capital of Delanta District in North Wolo.

The claim came out after the Ethiopian government stated that it reversed the armed insurrection in the Amara region and retook many cities and towns.

The image used in the Facebook post shows a group of people carrying rifles and waving a flag.

The claim that Fano militants have retaken control of Delanta Woreda has not been verified by independent sources.

However, HaqCheck found out that the image used in the Facebook post was old. The picture was circulated on social media a month ago in June. At the time, a media organization, Addis Maleda shared the image on its website along with a news story that a protest was held following the rape of an eight-year-old child in the Dalanta Woreda.

The government killed over 100 civilians in a drone attack in Debre Birhan

A Facebook page with over 190,000 followers posted five images with a claim that over a hundred people were killed in a drone attack on the city of Debrebaran by the Ethiopian government.

The claim emerged amid the intensified armed clashes between the government and Fano milia groups in the Amhara region. Unverified social media reports appeared stating that a drone was deployed in the city of Debre Birhan.

HaqCheck investigated the images used to support the claim. However, two of the five images were published on X two years ago allegedly showing a conflict that occurred in the Ataye town and its vicinities, in the North Shewa zone of the Amhara region.

One of the images was confirmed to show an air strike in Kobani, Syria, carried out by the Russian Air Force in coordination with the American Air Force in 2015. The remaining two images could not be confirmed if they support the claim or not.

Recommendations

HaqCheck urges social media users to be critical of potentially false information they encounter across media platforms. They should verify the source of information before sharing it. They should make sure that the information comes from a credible source.

The government should make information available to the public and media in a timely and transparent manner. It should provide information that is accurate and up-to-date. This is important because it helps to prevent the spread of disinformation. When people do not have access to information, they are more likely to believe misinformation.

Social media content creators and outlets have a responsibility to the public to share accurate information. They should abstain from circulating false information, whether intentional or unintentional.

Does the image show an Ethiopian army soldier surrendered to Fano militias?

A Facebook page with more than 300 thousand followers shared an image with a claim that the picture shows an Ethiopian army soldier recently surrendered to Fano militants in the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region.

The Facebook post was viral on the platform and was shared close to 200 times and gained over 1,700 reactions by the time this article was published.

However, HaqCheck inspected the post and found that the image was old and doesn’t support the claim. Therefore, HaqCheck rendered the claim 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 were armed clashes and public protests in the region opposing the federal government’s decision to disestablish regional special police forces.

Reports and social media posts have indicated that the ongoing conflict in the Amhara region killed many people.

The VOA Amharic recently reported that fighting between the Ethiopian military soldiers and Fano insurgents continued in many parts of the Amara region, Bahir Dar, the regional capital.

The Ethiopian government also stated that Fano militants captured many areas including major cities in the Amhara regional state.

Social media posts claimed that Fano milia groups captured Ethiopian army troops and various weapons during the ongoing conflict.

Link

Against this backdrop, a viral Facebook post emerged sharing an image with a claim that many Ethiopian army soldiers surrendered to Fano militant groups.

To verify the claim, HaqCheck used a Google reverse image search. As a result, the image was found previously posted on X (Twitter) on Jan 7, 2022. The picture was shared on X with a caption that reads, “Our heroes are falling for our freedom, peace, and safety, as well as for the sovereignty of our motherland Ethiopia, and wish them a happy holiday. Ethiopia Shall prevail.”

The original post on X was retweeted close to 300 times.

Therefore, HaqCheck rated the Facebook post False due to its usage of an inaccurate image.

August week one summary

False image claimed to show rifles seized by Fano militants

A Facebook post with over 90,000 followers claimed that Ethiopian army troops entered Shewa Yifat in the Amhara regional state to disarm Fano militia groups, but were defeated and retreated, abandoning weapons. The post was accompanied by an image that was falsely claimed to show the rifles seized by the Fano militants.

This image was also published along with similar claims. At the time this article was published, the post had more than a hundred reactions.

The claim came amid intense instability in the Amhara region, where Fano militia groups have been clashing with Ethiopian security forces. Recent social media reports claimed that a conflict broke out in Gondar and several people died as a result.

Recent media reports claim that a conflict broke out in Gondar and several people died as a result.

Following the incident, other social media posts claimed that the federal government of Ethiopia was deploying troops to places in the Gondar zones.

There were also media reports that armed militia groups in the region had taken control of some areas, including the Lalibela Airport.

The Ethiopian government this week declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region to reverse the worsening security situation.

However, the image that was used to support the claim about the Fano militants seizing weapons from the Ethiopian army was old and did not show any such event.

False images of militia groups seizing weapons

Following the widespread conflict and armed confrontations between the Ethiopian government and local militia groups in the Amhara region, social media platforms were flooded with claims of military victories.

Some claims were accompanied by old and false images.

One particular example this week was a Facebook post made on Aug 1, 2023, sharing three images with a claim that Fano militants had destroyed Ethiopian military troops and captured weapons.

The post was shared 20 times on the platform.

However, two of the three images used to support the claim were old and found published on the Internet several months ago.

The first image in the post was published for the first time on Dec 14, 2022, on Facebook. The second picture was found posted on a news site alongside a news article published on July 2, 2022.

Recommendations

HaqCheck urges social media users to be critical of potentially misleading or false claims. They should verify the information before reacting to claims. They are advised to check the source of the information, look for other sources that corroborate the claim, and be aware of the potential biases of the source.

We recommend that public institutions and government offices provide timely updates to the public and the media. This will help to ensure that people have access to accurate information.

Social media content creators should be responsible and refrain from circulating false and unverified information. They should be aware of the potential impact of their posts on public lives.

False: The image doesn’t show weapons seized by Fano militants

A Facebook page with over 90 thousand followers shared a post on July 27, 2023, claiming that Ethiopian army troops entered Shewa Yifat, an area in the Amhara regional state, to disarm Fano militia groups and were defeated and retreated abandoning weapons.

This image was also published along with similar claims (here, and here).

At the time this article was published, the post had more than a hundred reactions.

However, HaqCheck inspected the image and found it to be old. Thus, the claim was rendered False.

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

Armed confrontations, clashes, and public protests have occurred in the Amhara region protesting the federal government’s decision to disband regional special police forces.

Media reports indicate widespread instability in the region including armed clashes and killing in many areas.

Recent social media reports claim that a conflict broke out in Gondar and several people died as a result.

Following the incident, other social media posts claimed that the federal government of Ethiopia was deploying troops to places in the Gondar zones.

The claim that Ethiopian army troops entered Shewa Yifat to disarm Fano militia groups and were defeated and retreated abandoning weapons emerged in this context.

To verify the image, HaqCheck used a Google reverse image search and found it previously shared on a website and on Twitter on Jan 1, 2023.

Link

The image was shared on Twitter with a caption, “Once again, without spending a single penny, the Congolese Revolutionary Army (ARC/M23) acquires brand new equipment abandoned by the diabolical coalition [of] FARDC, FDLR, APCLS, NYATURA, PARECO, CODECO, [and] NDC-RENOVÉ.”

The picture used in the claim was cropped out of an image previously published on other platforms.

Granted that there has been an ongoing conflict and instability in the Amhara regional state of Ethiopia, the image used in the Facebook post doesn’t support the claim that Fano militants captured weapons from Ethiopian army troops. Therefore, HaqCheck rated the claim as False.

Does the image show Fano militants shot down an Ethiopian attack helicopter?

On July 13, 2023, a TikTok user with over 13,000 followers published a post sharing a short video made up of a single image with an Amharic caption, “Abiy Ahmed’s [Ethiopian government] attack helicopter was shot down by Amhara people’s army [Fano militants] in Raya Kobo.”

By the time this article was published, the TikTok post had received over 10,000 reactions and had been shared close to 900 times.

However, HaqCheck inspected the image in the post and confirmed that the picture was old. Therefore, the claim was rated False.

On April 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.

Armed confrontations, clashes, and public protests have taken place in the Amhara region protesting the federal government’s decision to disband regional special police forces.

According to various media reports, there have been armed clashes in many areas of the region and many people have been killed.

It was in this context the claim emerged on TikTok on July 13, 2023, alleging that Fano (informal armed militiamen) militants shot down an attack helicopter belonged to the Ethiopian government in Raya Kobo, in Northeastern Amahara regional state.

HaqCheck used a reverse image search to investigate the image-backed claim. However, the original image was found previously posted on April 16, 2013, in a news story published by the UK Daily Mail newspaper.

The picture was shared alongside a news article titled “US Marine helicopter with 21 onboard crashes on North Korean border as rogue state vows to destroy South with ‘sledgehammer blows’”

According to the article, the image shows a US marine transport helicopter crashed near the North Korean border in 2013. The helicopter crashed during a US-South Korea joint military exercise after North Korea threatened to attack South Korea.

Although there were recent skirmishes and unrest in the Amhara regional state, the image does not support the claim. Thus, HaqCheck rated the claim False due to its usage of an inaccurate picture.

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.

July week three summary

In the third week of July 2023, several disinformation and controversial claims circulated on social media platforms regarding the ongoing conflicts in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

False claim of Fano militants capturing weapons

A Facebook post on July 10 claimed that Fano militants in the Debre Elias Woreda seized over 15 rifles from local militiamen and policemen who supported the government. The post further stated that the weapons were confiscated during a confrontation with pro-government forces.

The Amhara region has been experiencing widespread armed clashes and unrest since recently. Protests erupted in the Amhara region following the Ethiopian federal government’s decision in April 2023 to disarm special police forces. This decision led to conflicts and armed clashes involving the Ethiopian government’s armed forces and informal armed militias in the region. Numerous casualties have been reported in recent armed confrontations.

The Amhara region’s East and West Gojjam zones witnessed conflicts and protests during the reported week. Both sides suffered casualties, with security personnel being responsible for protester deaths, while armed militias killed Ethiopian army soldiers.

Civil unrest occurred in Denbecha, Jiga, and Finote Selam in Gojjam, resulting in three fatalities and over 20 injuries. The clashes involved unidentified armed groups and government security forces.

However, the claim that Fano militants in the Debre Elias Woreda confiscated over 15 rifles from local militiamen and policemen was rated as false since the accompanying image was outdated and did not support the claim.

Social media reports of fighting in Wollo

Reports of fighting between Fano militants and Ethiopian defense forces (ENDF) in Wollo, particularly in the town of Kobo, circulated widely on social media platforms.

However, some of these social media posts contained misleading information, including the use of irrelevant images and videos. The proliferation of social media posts about the issue added to the complexity of understanding the actual situation on the ground.

Recommendations

Social media users should be cautious when encountering instant claims and sensational news on their feeds. Before sharing or reposting such content, it is essential to question its authenticity and consider the source’s credibility. Users must take the time to verify the information from multiple reliable sources before passing it along to their networks. Users should prioritize seeking out original and reliable sources of information.

Government agencies and institutions should provide timely updates and clarifications to the public and media. Regularly sharing accurate information can help combat the spread of misinformation. Government agencies need to uphold citizens’ right to access information in its entirety.

Social media content creators should prioritize accuracy and reliability when sharing information. They should refrain from participating in the dissemination of disinformation or sensationalized content that can further fuel conflicts and misinformation.

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.