A Facebook post accompanied by an image claiming to show the aftermath of a 2019 drone strike by an unmanned aerial vehicle in Ethiopia's Tigray region has been found to be partially false. The post, which was shared on social media, alleged that the drone strike targeted a warehouse storing mechanized military equipment in the town of Girhu Sina, resulting in its complete destruction.
However, a reverse image search using Google revealed that the photo does not depict the aftermath of a 2019 drone strike in Tigray. Instead, the image was published by The Stars and Stripes newspaper on May 13, 1995, in an article about a fire that destroyed tents at a camp in Kuwait. The image was taken by photographer Rick Scavetta.
The misleading information was spread in September 2020, amid renewed conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and Tigray forces in the Tigray region. Reports emerged of drone strikes targeting militants in the region. PesaCheck, an East African fact-checking organization, investigated the claim and found it to be partially false.
PesaCheck's investigation is part of its ongoing efforts to verify information and debunk misinformation on social media platforms. The organization works with Facebook and other social media platforms to identify and flag false information. PesaCheck's fact-checking team includes experienced journalists and researchers who verify information through rigorous investigation.
The image in question was shared on social media, including Facebook, with claims that it showed the destruction caused by a drone strike in Tigray. However, PesaCheck's investigation revealed that the image was not related to the conflict in Tigray. The organization's findings were published on its website, highlighting the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media.
PesaCheck is an independent fact-checking organization based in East Africa, founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arnstein. It is supported by Code for Africa, a civic technology and media platform, and receives funding from organizations such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). PesaCheck's mission is to promote accountability and transparency in East Africa by verifying financial and other information.
The organization's work includes fact-checking reports from various media outlets and providing accurate information to the public. PesaCheck's managing editor, Dorine Wainaina, oversaw the publication of this fact-check, which was prepared by PesaCheck's senior copy editor, Mary Miti, and copy editor, Stephen Ndugwa.
Key points
- The image shared on Facebook does not show the aftermath of a 2019 drone strike in Ethiopia's Tigray region.
