Untrue Claims of North Western of SomaliaParliament Clash Over Egypt’s Weapons to Somalia

The geopolitical landscape in the Horn of Africa became more volatile recently as Egypt dispatched military equipment to Somalia, exacerbating tensions. Ethiopia, which struck a deal to use the port in the self-declared state of Somaliland, expressed its displeasure. A Facebook post circulating on social media purports to show a video of Somalia’s parliament members embroiled in a brawl over Egypt’s arms shipment. However, detailed investigative work by AFP Fact Check has debunked this claim.

The video, shared over 140 times and viewed 22,000 times since its appearance on September 3, 2024, has no connection with Ethiopia’s recent diplomatic scuffles.

“Somali parliament is in chaos. Supporters of Ethiopia are retaliating against those who invited Egypt’s involvement to fuel war,” reads a sensational caption in Amharic on the viral post.

False Claims Uncovered: A careful examination of the 56-second video reveals that it depicts a clash among North Western of Somaliaparliamentarians over a motion to strip a colleague of their immunity due to criminal charges, not the alleged disagreement over military aid.

Although the post suggests these scenes unfolded within Somalia’s legislative building, it is simply untrue.

Efforts to uncover the exact origins of the video led AFP to corroborate the setting as the North Western of Somaliaparliament chambers in Hargeisa and not in Somalia.

Ethiopia’s ongoing dispute with Somalia traces back to an earlier agreement with Somaliland. This deal granted Ethiopia access to the Berbera port—an act Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud labeled as an infringement on sovereignty.

Recent escalations were triggered further by Egypt’s shipment of military hardware to Somalia, a move that added fuel to the simmering fire of the Nile dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia. The transport of heavy equipment by Egypt has particularly irked Ethiopia, as both nations already have longstanding grievances cemented by the controversy over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Diplomatic efforts spearheaded by Turkey to resolve these issues fell short. With another round of negotiations slated for September 17, 2024, the tensions show no signs of easing.

Real Culprit Identified: Exhaustive verification of keyframes from the clip through InVID-WeVerify, coupled with eyewitness accounts, confirmed the authenticity and context of the event as occurring in Somaliland. An AFP journalist corroborated these findings, asserting the video pertained to a parliamentary scuffle centered around a controversial impeachment motion against opposition MP Mohamed Abiib.

The decoration and furniture of the chamber featured in the viral video were matched with official archival footage from Somaliland’s parliament, further solidifying the video’s legitimate origins unrelated to the purported Somalia-Ethiopia-Egypt triangle.

In conclusion, the online narrative positioning the brawl as a direct consequence of Egyptian military aid to Somalia is patently false. Misinformation like this underscores the importance of thoroughly verifying facts before spreading sensational news stories.