A video claiming to show recent executions in Ethiopia’s Amhara region has been identified as filmed in Tigray in 2021. It depicts military personnel executing civilians and has been mass-shared on social media. The report indicates that the country is grappling with ongoing violence as tensions escalate between the federal government and the Fano militia, which has left millions impacted, including children and healthcare services.
A disturbing video circulating on Facebook claims to show an execution in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. However, investigations reveal that this footage is, in fact, from the Tigray region and dates back to 2021. The 19-second clip, shared widely since May 15, 2025, contains text indicating that it is a plea relating to the treatment of the Amhara people and expresses support for the Fano militia against the Prosperity Party government.
The video depicts individuals in military uniforms executing unarmed civilians in a dry and desolate landscape. More than 470 shares indicate a high level of interest in this content, which is anchored by a strong emotional message suggesting a widespread massacre of Amhara individuals. Contextually, this comes against a backdrop of escalating conflict in the Amhara region, where tensions have been mounting since the federal government’s decision to disarm paramilitary groups in April 2023.
The Fano militia, initially allies during the Tigray War, has turned against the federal government, resulting in renewed violence. As reported by AFP in March 2025, the ongoing conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, leaving millions of children out of school and hospitals struggling to operate. Additional reports indicate significant casualties on both sides, with federal forces claiming to have killed nearly 300 Fano fighters. However, much of the rural area remains outside government control.
Despite the origins of the video tracing back to 2021, social media users have erroneously linked it to the present conflict in Amhara. To verify the facts, AFP Fact Check utilized the InVID-WeVerify video verification tool to perform image searches on keyframes. This analysis confirmed that the video’s longer version was first uploaded to a gore website back in June 2021, explicitly stating it depicted soldiers executing civilians in Tigray.
Notably, the content of this earlier footage has been corroborated by Bellingcat, an independent organization well-versed in digital investigations of armed conflict. Their report highlighted that this particular video is part of footage from the Mahbere Dego massacre that occurred in Tigray in January 2021. Similarly, CNN aired portions of this footage soon after Bellingcat’s findings, emphasizing its link to documented atrocities by Ethiopian soldiers.
The ongoing conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, which has claimed over 600,000 lives, underscores the complexity of the situation. With a peace agreement reached in November 2022, the legacy of mass atrocities from both the Ethiopian military and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front continues to loom large. Both factions are accused of committing serious human rights violations against civilians throughout this brutal conflict.
The video circulating on social media purporting to show recent executions in Amhara has been confirmed to be from 2021, originating in Tigray. The footage reflects the ongoing hardships and historical violence faced by civilians amidst the turbulence in Ethiopia’s regional conflicts. As the situation develops, misinformation continues to circulate, often obscuring the grim realities of past atrocities and current humanitarian crises.
Original Source: factcheck.afp.com
