Blinken called for the withdrawal of the ENDF from the Amhara region
Last week, a claim (link, link) circulated on social media that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the withdrawal of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) from the Amhara regional state.
On November 2, Blinken issued a statement commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Pretoria Agreement, which ended the two-year war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). In the statement, Blinken commended both sides for their commitments to the agreement and called on Ethiopia and Eritrea to refrain from provocation and respect the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all countries in the region.
Blinken also expressed concern about the internal conflicts in Ethiopia and called for dialogue to resolve the conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regional states.
However, contrary to the claim on social media, Antony Blinken’s statement did not include a specific call for the withdrawal of the Ethiopian military from the Amhara region. While he addressed the internal conflicts in Ethiopia, he did not make any explicit demand for the ENDF to withdraw from the Amhara regional state.
Therefore, the claim that Blinken called for the withdrawal of the ENDF from Amhara is false.
Eritrea is deploying troops to Ethiopian border
HaqCheck has observed a claim on social media that Eritrea is deploying its troops to the Ethiopian border. The posts use two images to support this claim, but both images are old and do not show Eritrean troops recently deployed near the Ethiopian border.
During the conflict between the TPLF and the Ethiopian government, Eritrea played a significant role in supporting the central government. It’s worth noting that Eritrea, despite its involvement in the conflict, did not take part in the negotiations or the subsequent signing of the peace agreement that concluded the war a year ago.
Recent statements from the Ethiopian government emphasized the country’s aspiration to secure its own access to the sea, either through the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean. The Eritrean government has opposed this statement.
In this context, the social media claim that Eritrea is deploying its troops to the Ethiopian border emerged.
However, the images used in the post were old and did not show Eritrean troops recently deployed near the Ethiopian border.
Chief of Staff Birhanu Jula said ENDF is exhausted by Fano militants
HaqCheck came across a viral TikTok video in which Ethiopian Chief of General Staff Field Marshal Birhanu Jula is heard saying that the Ethiopian military is exhausted and defeated by Fano militants.
The Ethiopian government’s decision to disarm special police forces in regional states and integrate them into regional police, federal police, and the Ethiopian military led to opposition in the Amhara region. This decision sparked armed conflict between Fano militants and the Ethiopian military in the region. Reports indicate that clashes between Fano militants and Ethiopian military forces are ongoing in the Amhara region.
It is against this backdrop that the claim on TikTok emerged, suggesting that Fano militants were prevailing over the Ethiopian army in the Amhara region, with General Birhanu Jula allegedly confirming this.
However, the TikTok clip featuring General Birhanu Jula was manipulated and does not support this claim. It was taken from an original video published on YouTube. The original speech, made by General Birhanu Jula two weeks prior, did not contain a statement about ENDF being overwhelmed by Fano militants. The short TikTok video was created by splicing together phrases from the original video to give the false impression that General Birhanu Jula made such a statement.
Recommendations
It’s important for social media users to approach posts with caution, especially if they come from unfamiliar or unconfirmed sources. They should fact-check claims before reacting.
Social media content creators should act responsibly and refrain from sharing information that is untrue or could mislead others.
Public institutions and other concerned organizations should regularly provide timely and accurate information.
The government should ensure that both the public and the media have the right to access information. Access to information is crucial for combating disinformation.
