Oromia regional militia attacked Somali villages
An X (Twitter) post on September 18, 2023, claimed an image showed an Oromo militia attacking Somali villages. The post shared two pictures and claimed that the never-ending civil war in Ethiopia was spreading to the east and that heavily armed Oromo militia sponsored by the regional government of Oromia had attacked villages and the largest Somali refugee camp, Qolaji, near Jigjiga. The post was shared nearly 294 times and received over 428 reactions.
The conflict between the Oromo and Somali communities in Ethiopia is complex and has a long history. Both communities inhabit the areas around the regional border, and they often clash over resources such as land and pasture. The conflict has been exacerbated by the instability in Ethiopia, and it has led to the displacement of thousands of people.
HaqCheck investigated the claim and found that the images were old and did not support the claim. The first photo was originally posted on Facebook on August 19, 2019, with a caption that stated: “We know the administration of the region protects their seats and the civilians who don’t have interest. I don’t understand why ONLF is so short of the problems facing the people of Qoloji.”
The second image had been previously published on a website on May 27, 2018, with a caption describing how power lines touching trees caused four California wildfires that destroyed 134 buildings.
Thus, the image used in the Twitter post was not accurate and did not support the claim that Oromo militiamen were attacking Somali villages.
A video showing soldiers beating up people in Amhara
On August 11, 2023, an X (Twitter) post shared a video with the claim that it showed Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) soldiers beating people based on ethnic identity in the Amhara region. The post went viral on the platform, with nearly 379 retweets and over 329 reactions.
The Amhara region in Ethiopia has been experiencing ongoing armed conflict between government armed forces and Fano militia groups. Last month, armed militia groups gained control over various areas in the region, prompting the Ethiopian federal government to declare a state of emergency in Amhara
In August 2023, the government launched a counteroffensive and managed to recapture major urban areas from Fano militants. However, reports indicate that armed clashes and confrontations continued in the region.
However, HaqCheck investigated the claim and found that the video was old and did not support the claim. The video had been previously posted on X on March 13, 2021, with a description that Ethiopian soldiers were beating people in Tigray.
Recommendations
Social media users are recommended to be careful what they read and share. They shouldn’t believe everything they see, and check other sources before sharing something.
Governments and other organizations should be transparent and give people accurate information. This is especially important during times of crisis when misinformation can spread quickly. The public and the media should be given unfettered access to information.
Social media content creators are advised to be responsible and not to spread false or misleading information.
