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2 days ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Ethiopia recently ramped up its defence capabilities after inaugurating weapons facilities that will produce ammunition and unmanned drones. Videos circulating on Facebook are being shared with a claim that they show an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) built by a young Ethiopian. However, this is misleading: the video does not show a functional missile but rather a model, made out of recycled materials and inspired by a North Korean missile.
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1 week ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Adanech Abiebie, the mayor of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, has been criticised by right organisations for the city’s extensive urban development projects, which have led to evictions. Amid this controversy, video posts on Facebook claim to show the mayor giving a speech in which she allegedly leaks secrets to the Fano rebel group.
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2 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
The armed conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara region between the army and paramilitary group Fano has caused many hardships for civilians, including closed schools and hospitals. Footage recently published on Facebook claims to show ethnic Amharas being executed by soldiers in the region.
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2 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Health workers in Ethiopia are on strike, demanding salary adjustments and better working conditions. Posts published on TikTok claim Health Minister Mekdes Daba and her deputy resigned as a result of the nationwide labour action. However, this is false: the health ministry confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the claim is unfounded. Moreover, Mekdes has appeared on TV to address some of the strike-related issues since the claims were made.
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3 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Earlier this month, Sudanese army sources said that Port Sudan and areas near the border with Eritrea were hit by drone strikes carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Shortly thereafter, coordinated posts were published on Ethiopian social media purporting that the RSF had announced strikes on Eritrean navy vessels in the Red Sea. However, this is false.
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4 weeks ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Yemen’s Huthi rebels have fired numerous missiles at Israel since the war on Gaza began, and while most have been intercepted, one penetrated air defences this month and landed near the country’s main airport. A video of a major explosion has been shared on Facebook in Ethiopia with a claim that it shows Huthi missiles destroying an Israeli city.
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1 month ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
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 had joined the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). The posts also contain links to videos that are purportedly a part of the news reports.
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1 month ago | 
yahoo.com | Tolera Gemta
Ethiopian musician Teddy Afro is known for crafting pop songs with political messages. A video has been shared on Facebook and purportedly features a new single from the artist in which he allegedly criticises Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. However, this is false; the song was created using artificial intelligence (AI). “Here is the full song,” reads an Amharic caption posted together with the video on April 19, 2025.
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1 month ago | 
thestar.com.my | Tolera Gemta
ADDIS ABABA: Lella Mesikir built a huge following with online posts about gender rights in Ethiopia but says a lack of local language content moderation has forced her to flee into exile. Analysts say social media in countries like Ethiopia can be particularly lawless since their systems often fail to filter out hate speech in local languages. Lella's nightmare began on Oct 22 when she posted a video on TikTok calling on women to flee abusive partners.
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1 month ago | 
barrons.com | Tolera Gemta
Lella Mesikir built a huge following with online posts about gender rights in Ethiopia but says a lack of local language content moderation has forced her to flee into exile. Analysts say social media in countries like Ethiopia can be particularly lawless since their systems often fail to filter out hate speech in local languages. Lella's nightmare began on October 22 when she posted a video on TikTok calling on women to flee abusive partners.
