Fact Checks - Page 7 of 43

July Week One Summary

UNICEF Job Advertisement Scam

A job advertisement claiming that UNICEF is hiring 2,800 workers in 6 regions of Ethiopia has been circulating widely on social media. The advertisement asks for 100 Birr for the registration application form and urges potential applicants to pay the fee in advance via CBE Birr or Telebir.

Later on, the post was confirmed to be a hoax and did not come from the alleged organization, UNICEF Ethiopia. UNICEF Ethiopia has issued an official statement denouncing the fraudulent job advertisement. According to the organization, such an advertisement does not originate from UNICEF, and it has been falsely circulated. UNICEF asserts that its genuine job advertisements are only posted on the UNICEF Careers website, ensuring transparency and authenticity.

In addition, UNICEF has stated that it does not charge money for the recruitment process and that it does not ask for bank details.

Alleged Creation and Distribution of Improvised Rifle to Fano Militiamen in Amhara Region

A Facebook post appeared sharing an image with a claim that an individual in the Amhara region has purportedly built an improvised rifle using scrap materials and subsequently distributed it to Fano militiamen. The claim suggests that this weapon has been assembled using rudimentary means and has been supplied to Fano armed groups in the area.

However, through investigation, the origins of the image were traced back to the video from September 2021, which was posted on Facebook.

A False Image of Military Vehicles Belonging to OLA

A Twitter post emerged sharing an image with a claim that an ethnic attack occurred in Alem Tena town, Oromia region, where Amhara individuals were targeted and harmed by Oromo militants.

The accompanying image depicts military vehicles with a flag that belongs to both the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).

However, the image was altered and doesn’t support the claim. The original image was published for the first time on Facebook in June 2020. The original image shows military vehicles with Ethiopian flags.

Recommendations

Job seekers should be wary of any job advertisements that ask for money or bank details. Social media users should be aware of such fraudulent activities and rely on authentic sources while seeking employment opportunities.

Social media users must approach instant claims with skepticism and verify their authenticity before sharing them. It is recommended to seek out original and reliable sources of information.

HaqCheck encourages government agencies and other institutions to provide timely updates and clarifications to the public and media. Furthermore, it is important to respect citizens’ right to access information in its entirety.

Content creators on social media should assume responsibility and refrain from participating in the dissemination of disinformation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June week three information disorder summary

Armed fighting in Gojjam, Amhara

HaqCheck found and investigated an image-backed claim posted on Facebook on June 16, 2023. The Facebook post, sharing a picture, claimed that there was armed fighting between Fano militias and the Ethiopian military troops in Eastern Gojjam, Amhara region.

The viral Facebook claim added that the Ethiopian troops deployed into the area were routed and forced to retreat.

The claim came out against a backdrop of recent armed clashes and protests in the Amhara region.

News reports indicate that there were armed confrontations in East and West Gojjam zones of the region in which protesters were killed by security personnel and armed militias killed Ethiopian army soldiers.

Particularly, after the Ethiopian government began demobilizing regional special police forces, there have been resistance and clashes in the Amhara region. It was followed by widespread protest and armed clashes between the Ethiopian government’s armed forces and informal armed militias.

Additionally, social media claims say that the Ethiopian government has been deploying troops into the Gojjam zones of the region to disarm militant groups.

However, the image was old and was published on social media platforms years ago. The picture doesn’t prove the claim.

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

The same image with opposing claims and competing narratives

On June 10, 2023, Addis Standard, a local news outlet, reported that at least five people were killed and other dozens were wounded in a fresh attack in the Amuru district of the Horo Guduru Wollega, Oromia regional state.

The report stated that residents told that the attack in which properties were destroyed, and houses were burned and looted was perpetrated by Fano militants.

The two Wollega zones of the Oromia regional state have been ridden by recurrent conflicts, horrific acts of violence, and mass displacement. Many people were massacred in various Wollega zones.

In this context, pictures of bones and skeletons of dead bodies were shared on social media platforms with claims that the remains belong to the victims of the recent attack in Wollega.

One of the images was shared on Facebook and Twitter with opposing claims (claim and counterclaim).

The image was posted on Facebook on June 9, 2023, with a claim that human remains belong to Oromos who were killed in an attack in the Kiramu Woreda in Wollega.

On June 13, 2023, the same image was shared on Twitter with an opposing claim that the image show corpses of Amhara people who were massacred in the Kiremu Woreda being collected and burned down.

The same image was shared with opposing claims to cement competing narratives in the Ethiopian media landscape. As events happen, conflicts claims and competing narratives usually follow.

Recommendations

HaqCheck recommends social media users be skeptical and exercise caution when they encounter controversial claims and possibly misleading information. They should look for additional sources and information to confirm if the information at hand is authentic. They should always avoid quick reactions to such posts.

The lack of information from government offices adds fuel to the existing disinformation dissemination and toxic media landscape. We urge government offices and other relevant institutions to offer sufficient and up-to-date information and explanations. There should be timely press briefings on a regular basis.

The Ethiopian government and other civil society organizations are also advised to work towards guaranteeing the right of the public access to information.

Social media content creators and influencers should be responsible while sharing media content and avoid circulating misleading or unverified information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June week two summary

Massacres in the Debre Elias Monastery

For the last few weeks, social media claims that are related to an armed clash in the Debre Elias woreda in the East Gojam zone of the Amhara region had been circulating. The claims that the government bombarded a monastery in the woreda and killed civilians were accompanied by pictures.

Likewise, similar claims were spotted and debunked by HaqCheck during the second week of June.

For instance, a particular image was circulating across the Ethiopian social media landscape supporting a claim that the Ethiopian government recently massacred many monks in the monastery in the Amhara regional state.

The image was also shared on Facebook with the same claim that the Ethiopian armed forces were shelling the monastery and killing many civilians.

However, the picture was old and found previously published on a news website on Apr 14, 2017.

According to the description of the original image, it shows the dead bodies of 36 non-Muslim civilians massacred by Al Shabaab militants in Kenya.

Ethiopian armed forces besieged a monastery in West Gojjam

Similar to the previous claim in content, the claim that federal armed forces surrounded a monastery located in the West Gojjam zone of the Amhara region planning to attack the monastery emerged at the end of the second week of June.

This claim infested social media platforms and Facebook posts with the same claim were shared over a thousand times.

However, HaqCheck could confirm whether the claim was true or false. Additionally, the images presented alongside the claim were not falsifiable. The pictures only depict monks and chapels.

Recommendations

We recommend social media users be cautious of unverified social media accounts and the information and post that came out of these accounts.

Social media users are advised not to react to controversial claims on social media platforms before are sure that the information at hand is authentic. They should also look for additional information and should avoid hasty reactions.

HaqCheck urges public offices and other institutions to provide the public with timely updates and clarifications.

At last, social media content creators are recommended to be responsible and refrain from disseminating disinformation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June week one summary

Government forces destroyed a church in Amhara region

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

However, HaqCheck inspected the image and confirmed the image doesn’t prove the claim.

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

Hundreds of Christians were killed in a monastery

A Twitter post shared an image with a claim that the Ethiopian government massacred hundreds of people in the Debre Elias monastery, East Gojjam, Amhara region.

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

However, the image has no connection with the claim. The picture is old.

The original image was published on a news site in December 2014 and shows the dead bodies of 36 people killed by Al-Shabab in Kenya.

Recommendations

We urge social media users to be skeptical about instant social media claims. They should try to verify if the information is authentic before they share it with others. They are advised to look for original sources of information.

HaqCheck urges governmental offices and other institutions to offer the public and the media updates and clarifications on a timely basis. Additionally, the right of citizens to access information should be respected to its fullest.

Social media content creators should be responsible and avoid being collaborators in disinformation dissemination.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Link

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do the pictures show recently demolished mosques in Oromia?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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