Disinformation in the Amhara region in September was mostly about the war between the Ethiopian government and the Fano militia. The following are the specific themes of disinformation that circulated in the month:
Fighting casualties
Disinformation about ENDF soldiers being killed in fighting and the government transporting troops using planes was common in the Amhara region in September.One specific piece of disinformation was an X (Twitter) post claiming that Ethiopian soldiers were being transported by helicopter to Amhara during the ongoing conflict. The post included an image that was purported to show this.
However, HaqCheck found out that the image is actually from a video clip shared on Facebook in August 2021. The original video clip described Ethiopian Airlines as being involved in ethnic cleansing, transporting soldiers, logistics, and weapons to the war in Tigray.
Fano seizing weapons and capturing soldiers
One of the most prevalent disinformation themes was that Fano militants were seizing weapons and capturing soldiers from the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF).One specific instance that circulated on social media was a video clip that was falsely attributed to Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, the Chief of Staff of the ENDF. The original video showed Field Marshal Jula talking about the armed conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian government in October 2021.
In the video, Field Marshal Jula said that the TPLF forces had taken many weapons from the ENDF, including tanks and artillery. However, the video clip was edited to make it seem like Field Marshal Jula was talking about the current conflict in Amhara and that he had confirmed that Fano militants were seizing ENDF weapons.
Another example that circulated on social media was a Facebook post that shared an image purportedly showing newly graduated Ethiopian commandos captured by the Fano militia. The caption claimed that the commandos were learning the lessons of Fano.
However, the image was not connected to the conflict between Fano and the Ethiopian army. It was actually first published on a website in September 2022, with the claim that it showed Ethiopian army prisoners in southern Tigray. A third piece of disinformation that circulated on social media was a Facebook post that shared two images purporting to show weapons belonging to the Fano militia.
The post claimed that the militia was armed with heavy and light weapons and would not allow the slaughter of Amharas to continue. However, the images were of weapons that had been handed over to the ENDF by the TPLF in accordance with the Pretoria peace agreement.
ENDF troops committing crimes and atrocities in Amhara
Another disinformation theme that was amplified during the month of September was that the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) was committing crimes and atrocities against civilians in the Amhara region.
Specific examples of this disinformation included a Twitter video that falsely claimed that ENDF soldiers were beating people in the Amhara region based on their ethnicity, and a Facebook post that falsely claimed that ENDF soldiers were committing atrocities in the Amhara region.
The Twitter video was old and did not support the claim. The video had been previously posted on Twitter in March 2021, with a description that Ethiopian soldiers were beating people in Tigray.
Another instance was a Facebook post claiming that an image showed Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) soldiers committing atrocities in the Amhara region. The post also described human rights violations that have been committed in the Amhara region.
The image, however, was old and had been circulating online since May 2021. It was originally shared on a website to accompany an article about atrocities committed by federal government soldiers in the Tigray region during the war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Government bombing in Amhara
One of the disinformation themes that HaqCheck tracked during the month of September was that the Ethiopian government was indiscriminately bombing the Amhara region.
Specific examples of this disinformation included a TikTok video that falsely claimed to show the Ethiopian government bombing the city of Gondar, and a Facebook post that falsely claimed that an image of a missile launch from an MQ-9 Reaper drone shows an Ethiopian government drone attacking civilians in Gojjam.
The TikTok video was actually old and does not support the claim. The original video was shared on Facebook in August 2022.
The Facebook post claiming that the image of a missile launch from an MQ-9 Reaper drone shows an Ethiopian government drone attacking civilians in Gojjam is also false. The image is actually from a Korean website and was published in 2020.
These social media posts were using old and unrelated images to spread false claims about the Ethiopian government bombing the Amhara region.
Arbitrary detention of civilians
One of the trends of disinformation in September 2023 in the Amhara region of Ethiopia was related to the detention of ethnic Amharas. False information about the detention of civilians was debunked by HaqCheck.
On September 13, 2023, a Facebook post shared four images claiming that the people shown in the pictures were ethnic Amharas detained by the government in Tulu Dimtu, a town on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. The post also stated that they were suffering and dying of contagious diseases in the camp.
To discredit the claims, some social media accounts shared a screenshot of an old Facebook post that showed images of homeless people. An old Facebook post from June 2022 was found containing the controversial images.
However, the old Facebook post was edited and the new images were added later.
HaqCheck found that a Facebook post that was originally about five assassinated leaders was edited to claim that the Addis Ababa City administration was providing medical services to homeless people. The post also added five new images that were unrelated to the original post.
Recommendations
HaqCheck recommends social media users to be skeptical of posts that may be misleading and that come from unknown or unverifiable sources. They should look for other sources of information to verify claims before reacting to them.
Social media content creators are advised to be responsible and avoid spreading false or misleading information.
We urge public institutions and other concerned entities to provide timely and up-to-date information on regular basis.
Access to information is key to counter disinformation. The government should guarantee the right of the public and the media to access to information.
