Since Friday, February 3, 2023, a Facebook post shared on the page “Kakako Kow,” featuring images of a nearly destroyed helicopter and a drone with explosive devices, claims: “A drone left the MINUSCA base and dropped explosives on the FACA base and their allies in the Ndélé area. On January 21, 2023, at 2:30 AM, a drone dropped 4 mines on a FACA base in Ndélé…”
The post is accompanied by hostile comments towards the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), such as: “Here are the consequences of sticking with MINUSCA instead of getting rid of them. An investigation is underway, but nothing is visible,” says one user. Another user comments: “These people should leave, the sooner the better.”
Beware of this completely false and unfounded information.
Verification in Detail:
To separate fact from fiction, the Central African Fact-Checkers Association (AFC) contacted the local authorities in Ndélé, the Ministry of Defense and the restructuring of the national army, and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Contacted by AFC, MINUSCA, through Lieutenant Colonel Abdoul Aziz Ouédraogo, spokesperson for the MINUSCA Force, flatly rejects these accusations: “This is a grotesque fabrication that does not reflect reality. MINUSCA does not have such drones; what we use is for taking images, not for dropping explosives,” he said.
He further explained: “The images of the drone in question do not correspond to MINUSCA drones. When we saw this post, we sent a team to verify with the population, but no one heard any explosions. So, it is a complete fabrication.”
Captain Firmin Amolomalo, spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense and the restructuring of the national army, also contradicts the post’s content: “It’s a lie because we do not have such information in our possession. Moreover, MINUSCA cannot conduct aerial operations over Central African territory without authorization from the Ministry of Defense.”
Jean Gilbert Gbangoudou, Prefect of Bamingui Bangoran in Ndélé, located 654 km from the capital Bangui, also does not confirm these allegations: “It’s false information because we have no evidence regarding this accusation against MINUSCA; we hold meetings every Monday with them to investigate this information that has recently spread on social media.”
Contacted, Ibrahim Sénoussi, Mayor of Ndélé, expresses surprise at the post: “I am astonished by this information, claiming that the drone left MINUSCA’s base to drop mines on the FACA base. The information is false.”
In a publication from February 3, 2023, alleging that MINUSCA launched bombs using a drone on the FACA base and their allies in Ndélé, a city located 654 km from Bangui. After verification by AFC, this information is false and unsupported by any evidence. Additionally, MINUSCA issued a statement on this matter during their weekly press briefing on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, to denounce these allegations.
By Boris Zekema / AFC
This article is written as part of the AFC-Internews partnership funded by USAID. However, the content is the responsibility of AFC.
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