Latest news with #Swahili
AFP
2 days ago
- AFP
Video shows Kenya protests, not mass runaways from Cambodia's internet sweatshops
"Mass escape from scam parks in Cambodia," reads the Chinese text over the clip shared on July 19 on Red Note. The 45-second video showed a group of people running on a highway. Image Screenshot of the false Red Note post captured on July 28, 2025, with a red X added by AFP It surfaced after Cambodian authorities said 2,000 people were arrested in raids, including at least 226 Chinese nationals, after Prime Minister Hun Manet Workers at the centres typically use romance or business cons to defraud web users of an estimated $40 billion annually, but many say they were trafficked or lured there under false pretences. The false claim also spread elsewhere on Bilibili. "They are all victims," one user wrote. Another commented, "The cyber-fraud is finally over." A reverse image search on Google showed a clip showing the same scene was uploaded on TikTok on June 26 with hashtags that read "maandamano" -- or "protest" in Swahili -- and the date June 25 (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the false post (left) and the TikTok clip (right) The clip was shared after protesters held ral imagery also showed the clip was filmed along Thika Road in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the Google Map Street View (left) and the TikTok video with matching features highlighted by AFP (right) in their reporting, including Citizen TV Kenya (archived here). The Daily Nation published photos where the four-lane highway can be seen several times (archived link). AFP has debunked another false claim about scam centres in Cambodia here.
The South African
4 days ago
- The South African
8 incredible African island destinations to visit in 2025
Africa's coastline is dotted with islands that fly under the radar but pack a serious punch when it comes to beauty, culture, and adventure. From volcanic peaks to turquoise lagoons, these African islands are worth putting on your travel list this year. Take a look… The Mnemba Atoll in Zanzibar, Image: canva A short ferry ride from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar is where Indian Ocean paradise meets Swahili culture. Expect white sand beaches, spice farms, and the labyrinthine streets of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's laid-back but full of life. This island destination in the Indian Ocean feels like a cross between Africa and Asia, with its mix of Creole, Indian, French, and Chinese influences. You'll find luxury resorts, but also volcanic mountains, rum distilleries, and bustling markets in Port Louis. Rolas Island, São Tomé and Príncipe. Image: canva One of Africa's least-visited countries, this two-island nation off the coast of Gabon offers lush rainforests, volcanic peaks, and colonial-era charm. It's a dream for eco-travellers and anyone craving real peace. Just off Madagascar's northwest coast, Nosy Be is known for its coral reefs, lemurs, and clear waters. It's tourist-friendly but still feels unspoiled. Don't miss a trip to nearby Nosy Komba and Nosy Tanikely for hiking and snorkelling. Djerba, Tunisia. Image: canva In North Africa, Djerba offers a distinct island vibe, one that is more desert than jungle. Think whitewashed buildings, ancient souks, and beaches framed by palm trees. The island also has one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Lamu is like a living museum of Swahili culture. There are no cars here, just donkeys and boats. Explore old stone houses, quiet beaches, and local markets. It's raw, real, and unlike any other beach destination. Anjouan island in the Comoros. Image: canva Rarely visited but absolutely worth it, the Comoros islands are made up of three islands, which sit between Madagascar and Mozambique. It's remote, wild, and full of volcanic landscapes and coral reefs. It's not polished, but that's part of the appeal. Located in the Atlantic, this archipelago blends African roots with Portuguese culture. Each island has a unique character: Sal is popular for beach resorts, Santiago for history, and Santo Antão for hiking. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
AFP
6 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Old video of Museveni falsely linked to Kenya's recent anniversary demonstrations
'President Museveni not happy for Kenyan police using excessive force on protesters (sic),' reads the text overlaid on a TikTok video published on July 11, 2025, and shared more than 8,000 times. Additional text overlay quoted in English and Swahili reads: 'Do not point your guns at civilians, they are not enemies,' while the accompanying caption on the post reads, 'Museveni criticized Kenyan President William Ruto for police brutality on protesters.' Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 21, 2025 The video shows Museveni dressed in a military uniform, giving an address while holding a Y-shaped stick. 'Even if you're guarding, don't point your gun towards the citizens, direct it at your enemies. Yesterday I was seeing those young boys,' Museveni says in the clip as he makes shooting gestures towards the audience. 'That's very bad orientation. It means you don't know who the enemy is.' 'Even if they say 'control the crowd', your gun should be on your back like this,' he adds, pointing at his own back. Similar claims were published on elsewhere on TikTok, Facebook and X. Shooting orders The video was shared on the heels of Kenya's 35th anniversary of the 'Saba Saba' (Swahili for 'Seven Seven') pro-democracy protests of July 7, 1990, which paved the way for Kenya's multi-party democracy (archived here). This year's Saba Saba commemorations were marked by nationwide protests, characterised by a violent police response, death, looting and destruction (archived here, here and here). Ruto claimed the protests were an attempt by the opposition to 'overthrow' his government, telling the police, 'Anyone who burns down someone else's business and property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court. Yes, let them not kill, but shoot and break the legs' (archived here and here). The directive came just weeks after Kenya's minister of interior and national administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, ordered police to shoot anybody approaching a police station, following similarly violent prior protests that saw several police stations vandalised (archived here and here). However, the social media posts with a clip purportedly showing Museveni reacting to the recent events in Kenya are fals Unrelated old video At no point in the clip does Museveni mention Ruto, the Kenyan police or the recent protests. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches for keyframes from the video, and the results established that the clip predates the recent unrest in Kenya. The clip was originally published by Ugandan media outlet NBS Television on January 5, 2020 (archived here). 'President Museveni says that the Police should have their guns behind their backs when asked to control the crowd,' reads the post. VIDEO: President Museveni says that the Police should have their guns behind their backs when asked to control the crowd. @KagutaMuseveni: It means you don't know who the enemy is.#NBSUpdates# — NBS Television (@nbstv) January 5, 2020 In both videos, the Ugandan leader is seen in identical attire, holding the same stick, and standing behind two microphones with yellow mic foam covers. An orange tent is also visible in the background. Image Screenshots comparing the false post (left) and the original clip published by NBS Television At the time, Museveni had embarked on a six-day trek dubbed 'Africa Kwetu' ("Our Africa"), a 195-kilometre walk retracing the route his National Resistance Army (NRA) guerrilla forces took when they seized power in 1986 (archived here). We found no credible source of evidence showing Museveni commenting on the recent demonstrations in Kenya. However, he did speak about Kenya's 2024 anti-tax protests, which culminated in a breach of parliament, warning Ugandan youth against staging similar protests in their own country (archived here and here).
Roya News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Correction: Viral video falsely claimed to show protest in Togo, footage is from Kenya
Roya News English previously shared a video on social media claiming to show a large protest in Togo against President Faure Gnassingbé. We have since learned that the footage was actually taken in Nairobi, Kenya, during recent demonstrations against President William Ruto. We regret the error and apologize for the misrepresentation. The video, which showed crowds marching along a highway with smoke rising in the background, was widely circulated online. The accompanying caption incorrectly stated that it depicted Togolese citizens protesting constitutional changes aimed at extending President Gnassingbé's time in power. While Togo has indeed witnessed anti-government protests in recent weeks, triggered by arrests of opposition figures, rising electricity costs, and a controversial constitutional reform, the video in question is unrelated to those events. The clarification comes after a fact-check by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which identified the video's true origin using both audio and visual analysis. Swahili - a language not spoken in Togo - can be heard in the footage. Additionally, road signs visible in the video point to Nairobi landmarks such as Kamiti Road, Garden City, and Mombasa. Using geolocation tools and satellite imagery, AFP confirmed that the footage was filmed on Thika Road in Nairobi during protests on June 25, 2025. The demonstrations marked the anniversary of deadly unrest in 2024 and were met with a heavy police response. The Kenyan government later claimed it had thwarted a coup attempt and labeled the protests as acts of terrorism. We thank AFP Fact Check for its verification work, which helped clarify the origins of the footage and prevent further misinformation.
AFP
21-07-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video shows protest in Kenya, not a demonstration against Togolese president
'This is Togo right now. Citizens protesting as the Togolese President Faure changes the constitution to make him president for life, where citizens will no longer participate in voting for the president,' reads the caption of a Facebook video shared more than 690 times since it was published on June 28, 2025. The video attached to the post shows a crowd marching on a highway with loud noises in the background and smoke rising from items burning on the road. Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken on July 16, 2025 The video has also appeared elsewhere in posts shared on Instagram and a Facebook account belonging to a media organisation in Nigeria. AFP Fact Check has previously debunked the claim in French. In June, several protests, which were violently repressed by the police, shook the streets of Lome, the Togolese capital, resulting in the deaths of at least seven people (archived here). Citizens protested the arrest of government critics, rising electricity prices and constitutional reform that moved the country to a parliamentary system of government where President Faure Gnassingbe occupies the highest office (archived here). The opposition argues that the reform will allow the president to remain in power indefinitely. Swahili audio Some comments under the post talk about the need for a change in Africa's leadership structure, a sign that people believe the claim. However, others mention that the video was filmed in Kenya, not Togo. An AFP fact-checker based in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, confirmed that some of the words heard in the video were in Swahili, a language spoken in East and Central African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unlike English and French, Swahili is hardly spoken in West Africa, where Togo is located. For example, the words 'wana retaliate' are heard in the 16th second of the video. 'Wana' in Swahili means 'in the process of'. Further evidence reveals the video does not show demonstrations in Togo. Kenyan protests A reverse image search was conducted on keyframes from the video using Google Lens. Among the search results was a YouTube link to the same footage, which was posted on June 28, 2025, without a caption (archived here). The YouTube video includes a watermark for a TikTok account called '@makofonyo3', where the original video was posted three days earlier (archived here). Again, it contained no details of what the clip depicted. However, a similar video from the same account was also shared on June 25, 2025, showing crowds marching along the four-lane highway, except this time a large road sign is visible, giving an indication of where it was filmed (archived here). Image Screenshot showing the highway sign seen in the video taken on July 17, 2025 Some of the words written on the gantry sign include directions for 'Nairobi', 'Kamiti Road', an urban road in Nairobi, 'Garden City', a shopping centre located along Thika Road, a major highway, also called A2, and 'Mombasa', a coastal city in Kenya. The highway sign was geolocated to Thika Road in Nairobi using Google Earth (archived here). Image Screenshot showing the highway sign seen in the video and satellite imagery on Google Earth, taken on July 17, 2025 AFP Fact Check matched various landmarks on Thika Road, like buildings and bridges, to both the video in the false posts and imagery from Google Earth. Image Screenshots matching features seen in the video (top) to satellite imagery on Google Earth, taken on July 17, 2025 Furthermore, by expanding the view on Google Earth, we established that the video falsely linked to Togo was filmed from alongside the gantry on Thika Road during protests in June 2025 (archived here). Kenyan protests On June 25, protesters took to the streets of Nairobi, Mombasa, and other counties across the country to mark the first anniversary of the deaths of 60 people killed when thousands of youths stormed the parliamentary chamber in 2024, demanding Ruto's resignation. The anniversary marches were violently repressed by the police and rekindled anti-government protests (archived here). Several Kenyan media outlets mentioned Thika Road in their reporting, including Citizen TV Kenya (archived here). The Daily Nation published photos in which the four-lane highway can be seen several times (archived link here). Image Screenshot showing an image of Thika Road published by The Daily Nation in Kenya, taken on July 21, 2025 Following the incident, the Kenyan government said it 'thwarted a coup d'etat' and denounced 'terrorism disguised as protest' (archived here). Since then, Ruto has continued to warn those who would 'overthrow' the government. The United Nations and other human rights groups have criticised the violence witnessed during the latest protests (archived here). Ruto, who was elected in 2022 after campaigning on behalf of the poorest, has faced significant opposition to his economic policies since 2024.
