Ethiopia’s C-130 Hercules jets
One of the false claims fact-checked by HaqCheck last week was an image-backed claim that the pictures in the Facebook post show Ethiopia’s C-130 Hercules jets.
The post emerged sharing five different images to support the claim that Ethiopia owns many C-130 Hercules jets.
Four out of the five pictures were false and don’t prove the claim. They were taken from other publications.
One C-130 Hercules aircraft was given to Ethiopia by the US government on June 6, 2018, delivered to help the country in its peacekeeping operations.
The fifth image shows the C-130 Hercules jet the US gave Ethiopia in June 2018.
However, four of the five images are found to be taken from old videos published on Youtube and other platforms. A link is given to check out where each image was taken from.
Thus, HaqCheck rated the post False.
ENDF troops joining OLA
Another claim investigated last week was a Facebook post sharing a picture alleging that several members of the Ethiopian Defence Forces (ENDF) were joining the Oromo Liberation Army, addressed by the government as OLF-Shane.
However, HaqCheck looked into the image and found out that the picture doesn’t support the claim that ENDF soldiers joining OLA.
The image was published for the first time on a Facebook page on Oct 31, 2021, with a claim that the Ethiopian army was being disbanded due to the battles with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front at the time.
Therefore, the post was rated False because it used an inaccurate image to prove the claim.
A controversial video
A video emerged on social media last week provoking controversies. The video shows armed men shooting people who seemingly wear military uniforms.
The shooters spoke Tigrinya according to the video recording.
The video unleashed many claims and a controversy surfaced particularly on the Tigrinya social media landscape last week.
Some claimed that the video shows TPLF soldiers killing Afar special police force officers.
Some alleged that it shows TPLF troops shooting and killing Eritrean refugees who live in Tigray.
Others claimed that the video showed TPLF soldiers killing Eritrean troops during a battle. Getachew Reda, a senior member of the TPLF higher leadership denied the claim that the video showed TPLF troops killing Eritrean soldiers in a post he made on Facebook. He rather claimed the video was fabricated by the Eritrean government and the shooters were Eritrean soldiers.
TPLF launching a new attack
Another claim last week that was fact-checked by HaqCheck was a claim that TPLF was mobilizing armed forces to launch a new attack. The Facebook post appeared last week sharing an image that reads, “it was stated that TPLF has already organized itself and is launching the war”.
However, HaqCheck interrogated the image and found out that the picture was old and doesn’t prove the claim.
The image was taken by photographer Ben Curtis on May 8, 2021, in Agulae, Tigray, and shows Ethiopian government soldiers riding in the back of a truck on a road.
Therefore HaqCheck rated it FALSE because of its usage of an inaccurate image to support the claim.
Recommendations
As we always do we recommend social media users be cautious and cross-check information including the authenticity and source. They have to look for additional information and credible accounts.
HaqCheck urges social media content creators to refrain from fabricating and circulating false information. They should avoid false information dissemination knowing and unknowingly.
We urge the government to ensure full and unlimited access to information. The public and media should enjoy full access to information. Besides, the government should give timely and sufficient updates on ongoing and controversial issues.
