March 5, 2021

Does the image show Sudanese army triumphing over the Amhara regional forces?

HAQCHECKFact checking

HaqCheck has rendered the post as FALSE due to the usage of inaccurate image to support the claim.

Avatar: Hagos Gebreamlak
By Hagos Gebreamlak

A fact-checker at HaqCheck, he has worked for Fortune as a reporter previously.

Does the image show Sudanese army triumphing over the Amhara regional forces?

On 2 March 2021 a Facebook post by the name 𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 (a page with 23,972 followers) shared an image that shows numerous military vehicles and troops with the claim that Sudanese army triumphed over Amhara militias troops [special police force] and are marching to fully control the[ir] territories that border Amhara region. The text which is written in Amharic reads “ Breaking news: well known media outlets are saying that the Sudanese army is triumphing over the Amhara militias and troops. The Sudanese soldiers said that they are  marching to fully control territories that border the Amhara [regional state]…” However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn’t show Sudanese troops triumphing over Amhara regional forces. Therefore, HaqCheck has rendered the post as FALSE due to the usage of inaccurate image to support the claim.

Granted, there have been armed clashes around the Ethio-Sudanese border since recently. The Sudan Armed Forces stated that they reclaimed territory in the Salam Bir and Mahaj areas in El Gedaref from the Ethiopian army and armed militias. On 31 December 2020 Omar Qamareddine, Sudanese foreign minister, declared restoration and full control over all territories along the Ethio-Sudanese border that had been taken over by Ethiopian farmers. The countries have been in talks and negotiations to settle the issue and demarcate the boundary in spite of it being in vain.

It is in this context that the image was shared claiming the Sudanese army is defeating the Amhara regional forces and is marching to fully control the remaining territories. However, a reverse image search of the picture used in the Facebook post doesn't prove the claim. The image was first posted on Backer News, an Arabic news outlet on 21 December 2020 with a story that the Sudanese Armed Forces had retaken three towns from Ethiopian militias on the Ethio-Sudanese borders. The original post related to the image can be with the following link.

It is true that there have been armed conflicts along the border areas between Ethiopian and Sudanese forces. However, HaqCheck has interrogated the claim and confirmed that the image below doesn't show the Sudanese army smashing the Amhara regional forces and marching to fully control the claimed territories that borders the Amhara regional state, therefore, rendering the post as FALSE due to the usage of inaccurate image to support the claim.

Fact Checked by: Hagos Gebreamlak

This article is part of HaqCheck, Addis Zeybe’s multilingual fact checking initiative, which is run by its R&D Department.