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AFP
29-05-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video of Ethiopian mayor admitting she confided in rebel group is fake
'Adanech has leaked secrets,' reads the text overlay on a video posted on Facebook on May 18, 2025. Image Screenshot of the altered post, taken on May 26, 2025 The post contains a 22-second clip that shows Adanech speaking at a gathering. 'My ex-husband was Amhara, and we had one daughter together. Following our minor dispute, he joined the Fano forces,' Adanech appears to say. Fano is a militia group in Ethiopia's Amhara region that has been fighting against the Ethiopian army since July 2023. 'He is currently fighting with our government, but we often talk over the telephone since he is my daughter's father,' Adanech appears to add. 'Sometimes he mocks me and says: 'We are heading to Addis Ababa, are you ready?'.' The text accompanying the post reads: 'You Amhara men, did we not tell you not to marry women from any other ethnicity, but Amhara only?' Adanech is Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group. Similar posts were also shared here and here on Facebook. Addis Ababa development Ethiopia is experiencing armed conflicts in its two major regions: Oromia and Amhara. AFP's investigations revealed that the warring parties are using advanced disinformation tactics to smear their opponents, which is contributing to ethnic polarisation (archived here). Adanech has also faced trouble closer to home. AFP has reported on the demolition of historic buildings in the heart of Addis Ababa as part of Ethiopia's extensive urban development projects (archived here). Critics say the urban renewal scheme, known as the Addis Ababa Corridor Development Project, has not only wrecked buildings but also the history and identity associated with the area. Last month, Amnesty International called on the Ethiopian government to immediately halt the projects that it says have led to 'forced evictions' (archived here). Adanech has defended the projects as a benefit to society as a whole by creating wide roads, cycle paths and children's playgrounds. However, her speech purportedly revealing how she had leaked sensitive information to Fano was altered. Unrelated speech AFP Fact Check used the video verification tool InVID-WeVerify to conduct reverse image searches on keyframes from the video. The results established that a longer original video was published on the official YouTube channel of state-owned broadcaster Addis Media Network (AMN) on May 18, 2025 (archived here). An Amharic caption accompanying the video reads: 'Mayor Adanech Abebie noted that the city residents have benefited from the project accomplished in collaboration with business owners.' The video begins by showing dilapidated houses in cramped neighbourhoods, followed by testimonials from residents who say their lives have been improved by the new homes built by the city. About a minute into the original video, Adanech begins speaking in Amharic about housing projects for low-income residents in the district of Addis Ketema: 'I remember it was even difficult to get into those areas and do the excavation work because it was very confined there.' 'This situation has changed and pleasant residential buildings with good streets and playgrounds for children have been built in the area,' she adds. At no point did Adanech mention a former husband or Fano rebels. Artificially-generated audio The false Facebook post took a passage from Adanech's original speech (from 4'02' to 4'22'), slowed it down slightly, and replaced her words with AI-generated audio. Image Screenshot of the original video (left) and the false clip, taken on May 27, 2025 While the audio is in Amharic, the accent is off. There are also clear discrepancies between the words and Adanech's lip movements. For example, during the phrase 'minor dispute and he mocks me', her lips barely move. These are all clear signs that the audio was AI-generated. AFP Fact Check also ran the audio through an audio deepfake detector called DeepfakeTotal. Image Screenshot of the results generated by Deepfake Total, taken on May 27, 2025 The results showed a more than 99 percent probability that the audio was artificially created. AFP Fact Check has previously debunked AI-generated videos on a range of topics in Ethiopia, such as here, here and here.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethiopian broadcaster targeted with false claims about popular figures joining armed rebels
Ethiopia is plagued by armed conflicts in the country's two most populous regions: Oromia and Amhara. Facebook posts claim Oromia Media Network (OMN), a US-based broadcaster, reported that a former Ethiopian peace minister as well as a popular singer ha d joined the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The posts also contain links to videos that are purportedly a part of the news reports. However, the claims are false: OMN denied publishing the alleged reports, which AFP Fact Check found to be fabricated. The YouTube links are also old and misrepresented. 'Breaking news,' reads a Facebook post published on April 23, 2025, in Afaan Oromoo. 'OMN reported that Taye Dandea has joined the rebels in the jungle.' Screenshot of the false post, taken on April 28, 2025 A screenshot with a picture of Taye Dandea, the former peace minister, adds that he has now joined the OLA and has 'sent a message from the jungle'. In the picture, Taye is wearing braids, a popular style with OLA fighters. The other half of the screenshot shows a picture of a news presenter from Oromia Media Network (OMN), an independent television station broadcasting from Minnesota in the United States. A link in the post leads to a YouTube video of a telephonic interview with Taye, who says Oromia is experiencing a 'war situation'. 'People cannot move freely, and all rights have been suspended. Brothers who were struggling for justice are now killing each other,' Taye says. He also criticises the government for excluding his ministry from peace talks held with the OLA in Tanzania in November 2023. Taye is not seen on camera during the interview but an image of him holding a microphone has been used in place. Screenshot of Taye speaking used in the false video, taken on April 28, 2025 There is a clear jump in the video at the 2'13' mark, at which point a different OMN programme host appears on the screen and proceeds to talk about Taye's political career. Controversial politician Taye was arrested in December 2023 by federal police after he shared a dismissal letter from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on his Facebook page and described the country's leader as 'a savage playing with human blood' (archived here). He was accused of collaborating with rebels in the Oromia region and was detained for a year before being released on bail in December 2024 (archived here). Armed conflict has been raging in Oromia between the government and the OLA, with peace talks in Tanzania ending twice without agreement (archived here). However, the claim that OMN reported on Taye joining the OLA is false. Taye's interview AFP Fact Check used keyword searches to find the original video. The results established that it comprises two pieces of footage from different media outlets. The first two minutes of the video come from a BBC Afaan Oromoo interview with Taye, published on December 9, 2023, a few days before his arrest (archived here). The interview was originally more than 38 minutes long and excerpts from this video, starting at 19'50', where Taye talks about the devastating armed conflict in the Oromia region, were used in the false video. 'In the Oromia region, we are experiencing a war situation. I think the results of war are understandable. Civilians are being killed and harassed,' Taye says. 'People cannot move freely, and all rights have been suspended,' he adds. In this context, the Facebook post falsely claims that the video shows Taye's speech from the 'jungle', meaning the forested areas where OLA fighters operate in Oromia. At no point in the interview does he mention joining the OLA. The second part of the false video was taken from an OMN report on Taye that was based on his interview with BBC Afaan Oromoo and published on YouTube a day later (archived here). OMN's report was originally more than 32 minutes long and covers Taye's political career and his views on the government. Screenshots of the original OMN YouTube video (top) and the false video (bottom), taken on April 28, 2025 At the time of the two broadcasts, Taye was a member of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP). Furthermore, reverse image searches reveal that the image of Taye with braids has been altered. In the original photo, which was published online in March 2020, Taye had short hair. The photo was altered to give the false impression that Taye was now wearing a braided hairstyle in solidarity with the OLA (archived here). Screenshots of Taye's original photo (left) and the altered one, taken on May 2, 2025 Singer joins OLA? The same account shared a similar post on Facebook three days after the claim about Taye was published. The caption reads: 'OMN has reported from Ambo that Chala Dagafa has joined the OLA fighters.' Screenshot of the false post, taken on April 29, 2025 Chala Dagafa is a well-known Afaan Oromoo singer, while Ambo is a town in Oromia. Like the one before it, the second post included a link to a YouTube video and a claim that it shows Chala fighting alongside the OLA. However, the link leads to a shortened version of one of Chala's music videos. AFP Fact Check searched for the original and found it was published in October 2020. The music video is titled 'Ati eenyu?', which means 'Who are you?' in Afaan Oromoo (archived here). As he sings, Chala expresses his community's determination to fight for their rights while subtly questioning the legitimacy of authorities. Screenshots of the original music video (left) and the false clip, taken on April 28, 2025 Neither video shows Chala fighting for the OLA. The post also included a photo of what appeared to be Chala holding a weapon. Again, the search results showed that Chala's image was altered. The original image, which shows an unnamed fighter with a weapon, appears on various stock photo sites (archived here). Screenshot from a stock photo site showing a fighter, taken on May 6, 2025 The original photo has been edited to add Chala's head and shoulders, taken from a poster of his music album, to give the false impression that he is holding a weapon and fighting alongside OLA fighters (archived here). Screenshots of the original image (left) and the altered image, taken on May 2, 2025 Broadcaster targeted AFP Fact Check scanned OMN's website and social media platforms and found no content related to reports about Taye or Chala joining the OLA. OMN confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the broadcaster did not publish the alleged reports. 'This is completely false,' said Dejene Gutema, editor-in-chief of OMN. 'We did not publish the alleged news.' OMN, with nearly three million followers on Facebook, is known for its in-depth coverage of the Oromia region. 'Social media users target OMN to get more followers by falsely using its name,' Dejene added. AFP Fact Check previously debunked a claim targeting OMN.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethiopian broadcaster targeted with false claims about popular figures joining armed rebels
Ethiopia is plagued by armed conflicts in the country's two most populous regions: Oromia and Amhara. Facebook posts claim Oromia Media Network (OMN), a US-based broadcaster, reported that a former Ethiopian peace minister as well as a popular singer ha d joined the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The posts also contain links to videos that are purportedly a part of the news reports. However, the claims are false: OMN denied publishing the alleged reports, which AFP Fact Check found to be fabricated. The YouTube links are also old and misrepresented. 'Breaking news,' reads a Facebook post published on April 23, 2025, in Afaan Oromoo. 'OMN reported that Taye Dandea has joined the rebels in the jungle.' Screenshot of the false post, taken on April 28, 2025 A screenshot with a picture of Taye Dandea, the former peace minister, adds that he has now joined the OLA and has 'sent a message from the jungle'. In the picture, Taye is wearing braids, a popular style with OLA fighters. ADVERTISEMENT The other half of the screenshot shows a picture of a news presenter from Oromia Media Network (OMN), an independent television station broadcasting from Minnesota in the United States. A link in the post leads to a YouTube video of a telephonic interview with Taye, who says Oromia is experiencing a 'war situation'. 'People cannot move freely, and all rights have been suspended. Brothers who were struggling for justice are now killing each other,' Taye says. He also criticises the government for excluding his ministry from peace talks held with the OLA in Tanzania in November 2023. Taye is not seen on camera during the interview but an image of him holding a microphone has been used in place. Screenshot of Taye speaking used in the false video, taken on April 28, 2025 There is a clear jump in the video at the 2'13' mark, at which point a different OMN programme host appears on the screen and proceeds to talk about Taye's political career. Controversial politician Taye was arrested in December 2023 by federal police after he shared a dismissal letter from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on his Facebook page and described the country's leader as 'a savage playing with human blood' (archived here). ADVERTISEMENT He was accused of collaborating with rebels in the Oromia region and was detained for a year before being released on bail in December 2024 (archived here). Armed conflict has been raging in Oromia between the government and the OLA, with peace talks in Tanzania ending twice without agreement (archived here). However, the claim that OMN reported on Taye joining the OLA is false. Taye's interview AFP Fact Check used keyword searches to find the original video. The results established that it comprises two pieces of footage from different media outlets. The first two minutes of the video come from a BBC Afaan Oromoo interview with Taye, published on December 9, 2023, a few days before his arrest (archived here). The interview was originally more than 38 minutes long and excerpts from this video, starting at 19'50', where Taye talks about the devastating armed conflict in the Oromia region, were used in the false video. ADVERTISEMENT 'In the Oromia region, we are experiencing a war situation. I think the results of war are understandable. Civilians are being killed and harassed,' Taye says. 'People cannot move freely, and all rights have been suspended,' he adds. In this context, the Facebook post falsely claims that the video shows Taye's speech from the 'jungle', meaning the forested areas where OLA fighters operate in Oromia. At no point in the interview does he mention joining the OLA. The second part of the false video was taken from an OMN report on Taye that was based on his interview with BBC Afaan Oromoo and published on YouTube a day later (archived here). OMN's report was originally more than 32 minutes long and covers Taye's political career and his views on the government. Screenshots of the original OMN YouTube video (top) and the false video (bottom), taken on April 28, 2025 At the time of the two broadcasts, Taye was a member of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP). ADVERTISEMENT Furthermore, reverse image searches reveal that the image of Taye with braids has been altered. In the original photo, which was published online in March 2020, Taye had short hair. The photo was altered to give the false impression that Taye was now wearing a braided hairstyle in solidarity with the OLA (archived here). Screenshots of Taye's original photo (left) and the altered one, taken on May 2, 2025 Singer joins OLA? The same account shared a similar post on Facebook three days after the claim about Taye was published. The caption reads: 'OMN has reported from Ambo that Chala Dagafa has joined the OLA fighters.' Screenshot of the false post, taken on April 29, 2025 Chala Dagafa is a well-known Afaan Oromoo singer, while Ambo is a town in Oromia. Like the one before it, the second post included a link to a YouTube video and a claim that it shows Chala fighting alongside the OLA. However, the link leads to a shortened version of one of Chala's music videos. AFP Fact Check searched for the original and found it was published in October 2020. The music video is titled 'Ati eenyu?', which means 'Who are you?' in Afaan Oromoo (archived here). As he sings, Chala expresses his community's determination to fight for their rights while subtly questioning the legitimacy of authorities. Screenshots of the original music video (left) and the false clip, taken on April 28, 2025 Neither video shows Chala fighting for the OLA. The post also included a photo of what appeared to be Chala holding a weapon. Again, the search results showed that Chala's image was altered. The original image, which shows an unnamed fighter with a weapon, appears on various stock photo sites (archived here). Screenshot from a stock photo site showing a fighter, taken on May 6, 2025 The original photo has been edited to add Chala's head and shoulders, taken from a poster of his music album, to give the false impression that he is holding a weapon and fighting alongside OLA fighters (archived here). Screenshots of the original image (left) and the altered image, taken on May 2, 2025 Broadcaster targeted AFP Fact Check scanned OMN's website and social media platforms and found no content related to reports about Taye or Chala joining the OLA. OMN confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the broadcaster did not publish the alleged reports. 'This is completely false,' said Dejene Gutema, editor-in-chief of OMN. 'We did not publish the alleged news.' OMN, with nearly three million followers on Facebook, is known for its in-depth coverage of the Oromia region. 'Social media users target OMN to get more followers by falsely using its name,' Dejene added. AFP Fact Check previously debunked a claim targeting OMN.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's aid cuts and tariffs call for an ‘Africa First' response
In recent months, the name Birtukan Temesgen has become synonymous with years of human-rights abuses in Ethiopia. That country has largely become a failed state under the rule of its strongman, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad, despite — or maybe in part because of — generous aid from the U.S. and the West. In 2019, Birtukan had overcome a rough childhood in Africa's second-most populous nation to become a thriving student at Dembi Dolo University. One day, while walking across the campus, she was kidnapped by gunmen and brought to a remote corner of the Ethiopian jungle, where she says she was raped and forced to give birth to a child. Six years later, Birtukan emerged to tell her story through interviews and a documentary, captivating the nation. However, in a subsequent interview, she recanted her story — a move many believe was coerced. Her saga has also called attention to dozens of similar kidnappings and missing students over the last six years. The lack of accountability for the lethal campaign of ethnic cleansing against her ethnic Amhara people by the Abiy regime continues, even as the Ethiopian ruler basks in the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded by the West in 2019. The U.S., under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has largely ignored civil war, endemic corruption and economic decline under Abiy's rule. For years, it continued to offer carrots of humanitarian and developmental aid, including a recent major bailout through the International Monetary Fund, while not deploying the stick of consequences for the regime's crimes against humanity. Although much remains up in the air, President Trump's return sent a clear signal that this era is over. It is rapidly being replaced with an 'America First' policy that centers economic self-interests of both the U.S. and its potential trading partners while downplaying democratic concerns. The contours of this dramatic change became clear in the early days of Trump's second term, as the returning president and his cost-cutting team led by billionaire Elon Musk all but shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, and mostly cut off the spigot of foreign aid that, across Africa, has paid for programs like disease eradication and free school lunches. The U.S. government spent a whopping $6.5 billion on aid to sub-Saharan Africa last year. The apparent end of large-scale U.S. foreign aid is a crisis that also creates an opportunity. Trump's 'America First' policies are now reality for the next four years, if not longer. It creates an opening for forward-thinking countries, including Ethiopia, to forge their own 'Africa First' policies that will rebuild the continent through enhanced trade and human rights reforms, not handouts from the West. Seleman Yusuph Kitenge of African Union Development Agency-NEPAD argued forcefully for an 'Africa First' policy in a recent op-ed, noting that too often governments in the region use foreign aid from the U.S. or elsewhere to prop up flagging government services rather than on permanent economic development. 'An 'Africa First' approach should emphasize domestic resource mobilization, strengthening transportation systems and other social services, as well as the advancement of institutions and human capital,' Kitenge wrote. 'This shift would strengthen Africa's economic independence while reducing reliance on foreign aid.' The shock of the American aid cut-off should force African leaders to focus on the untapped economic potential of the continent, which is home to a massive consumer market and potential workforce. This would mean expanding the scope and the power of the current African Continental Free Trade Area, reining in the current black market that causes governments to lose billions of dollars in potential annual tax revenue and a serious effort to eliminate endemic corruption. The bigger idea here is not to recoil at the notion of an 'America First' policy in Washington but to seek inspiration from it. This philosophy could be likewise harnessed to advance business partnerships, innovation, economic development and good governance to help Africa emerge as a continent of the future. An 'Africa First' policy could especially benefit Ethiopia, which has struggled throughout its modern history under the yoke of Western colonialism that has too often sought to divide the proud nation by ethnic groups building resentment against each other to prevent a strong, unified independent source in the populous and resource-rich Horn of Africa. Ironically, this divide-and-conquer approach has hurt the United States as much as Ethiopia, by encouraging other superpower nations such as China and the up-and-coming Gulf powers to jockey for influence. There remain powerful incentives for African governments to cooperate with the Trump administration, including favorable trade deals, security assistance and access to American markets. There are also good reasons for America to continue to offer security aid, based on mutual interests to combat terrorism or to minimize other regional conflicts. Nor does an 'America First' policy eliminate the shared benefits of deals that leverage U.S. leadership in areas such as energy, infrastructure and technology. On April 2, the Trump administration unveiled a sweeping new tariff policy that did not spare Africa, with Ethiopia and its neighbors facing a 10 percent surcharge on goods while South Africa — whose current government is out of favor with both Trump and Musk, a native son — has been hit with a steep 30 percent tariff. His is shock therapy for African leaders to begin truly building their own economies, finally addressing rampant corruption, and cooperating across borders to create a rising tide that will lift all boats. The former system — the one that creates civil war, poverty and nightmare stories such as the one told by Temesgen — was never sustainable. It is long past time to begin putting Africa first. Mesfin Tegenu is executive chairman of the American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
16-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's aid cuts and tariffs call for an ‘Africa First' response
In recent months, the name Birtukan Temesgen has become synonymous with years of human-rights abuses in Ethiopia. That country has largely become a failed state under the rule of its strongman, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad, despite — or maybe in part because of — generous aid from the U.S. and the West. In 2019, Birtukan had overcome a rough childhood in Africa's second-most populous nation to become a thriving student at Dembi Dolo University. One day, while walking across the campus, she was kidnapped by gunmen and brought to a remote corner of the Ethiopian jungle, where she says she was raped and forced to give birth to a child. Six years later, Birtukan emerged to tell her story through interviews and a documentary, captivating the nation. However, in a subsequent interview, she recanted her story — a move many believe was coerced. Her saga has also called attention to dozens of similar kidnappings and missing students over the last six years. The lack of accountability for the lethal campaign of ethnic cleansing against her ethnic Amhara people by the Abiy regime continues, even as the Ethiopian ruler basks in the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded by the West in 2019. The U.S., under both Democratic and Republican administrations, has largely ignored civil war, endemic corruption and economic decline under Abiy's rule. For years, it continued to offer carrots of humanitarian and developmental aid, including a recent major bailout through the International Monetary Fund, while not deploying the stick of consequences for the regime's crimes against humanity. Although much remains up in the air, President Trump's return sent a clear signal that this era is over. It is rapidly being replaced with an 'America First' policy that centers economic self-interests of both the U.S. and its potential trading partners while downplaying democratic concerns. The contours of this dramatic change became clear in the early days of Trump's second term, as the returning president and his cost-cutting team led by billionaire Elon Musk all but shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, and mostly cut off the spigot of foreign aid that, across Africa, has paid for programs like disease eradication and free school lunches. The U.S. government spent a whopping $6.5 billion on aid to sub-Saharan Africa last year. The apparent end of large-scale U.S. foreign aid is a crisis that also creates an opportunity. Trump's 'America First' policies are now reality for the next four years, if not longer. It creates an opening for forward-thinking countries, including Ethiopia, to forge their own 'Africa First' policies that will rebuild the continent through enhanced trade and human rights reforms, not handouts from the West. Seleman Yusuph Kitenge of African Union Development Agency-NEPAD argued forcefully for an 'Africa First' policy in a recent op-ed, noting that too often governments in the region use foreign aid from the U.S. or elsewhere to prop up flagging government services rather than on permanent economic development. 'An 'Africa First' approach should emphasize domestic resource mobilization, strengthening transportation systems and other social services, as well as the advancement of institutions and human capital,' Kitenge wrote. 'This shift would strengthen Africa's economic independence while reducing reliance on foreign aid.' The shock of the American aid cut-off should force African leaders to focus on the untapped economic potential of the continent, which is home to a massive consumer market and potential workforce. This would mean expanding the scope and the power of the current African Continental Free Trade Area, reining in the current black market that causes governments to lose billions of dollars in potential annual tax revenue and a serious effort to eliminate endemic corruption. The bigger idea here is not to recoil at the notion of an 'America First' policy in Washington but to seek inspiration from it. This philosophy could be likewise harnessed to advance business partnerships, innovation, economic development and good governance to help Africa emerge as a continent of the future. An 'Africa First' policy could especially benefit Ethiopia, which has struggled throughout its modern history under the yoke of Western colonialism that has too often sought to divide the proud nation by ethnic groups building resentment against each other to prevent a strong, unified independent source in the populous and resource-rich Horn of Africa. Ironically, this divide-and-conquer approach has hurt the United States as much as Ethiopia, by encouraging other superpower nations such as China and the up-and-coming Gulf powers to jockey for influence. There remain powerful incentives for African governments to cooperate with the Trump administration, including favorable trade deals, security assistance and access to American markets. There are also good reasons for America to continue to offer security aid, based on mutual interests to combat terrorism or to minimize other regional conflicts. Nor does an 'America First' policy eliminate the shared benefits of deals that leverage U.S. leadership in areas such as energy, infrastructure and technology. On April 2, the Trump administration unveiled a sweeping new tariff policy that did not spare Africa, with Ethiopia and its neighbors facing a 10 percent surcharge on goods while South Africa — whose current government is out of favor with both Trump and Musk, a native son — has been hit with a steep 30 percent tariff. His is shock therapy for African leaders to begin truly building their own economies, finally addressing rampant corruption, and cooperating across borders to create a rising tide that will lift all boats. The former system — the one that creates civil war, poverty and nightmare stories such as the one told by Temesgen — was never sustainable. It is long past time to begin putting Africa first.
