Fact-Check: Old Video Misleads About Egyptian Aid to Sudan Amidst Fashir Violence
Social media posts in Egypt have been sharing a video, claiming it depicts urgent aid sent by Egypt to Sudan following events in Fashir. However, this claim is misleading. A fact-check reveals the video’s true origin.
The Video’s True Origin
The video shows boxes being loaded onto military cargo planes, with text overlaying the footage stating, “I told you, Egypt would never abandon Sudan.” However, a reverse image search using InVid revealed the video is old, dating back to August 14, 2020. It was originally published by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense on YouTube under the title: “Egypt sends urgent aid to the brothers in the Republic of Sudan.”
At the time, the official website of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense reported that the aid was sent in response to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s directives to alleviate the burden on the Sudanese people. The aid included large quantities of food and baby formula provided by Egypt.
The Sudanese side expressed gratitude to the Egyptian leadership for always standing with the world during crises. This aid came in response to a state of emergency declared by Sudan following floods that began in June 2020. The Sudanese Civil Defense Ministry announced in August 2020 that heavy rains had caused the deaths of 63 people since the end of July. The ministry also reported that 14,018 homes and 119 government buildings were completely destroyed, with 16,240 homes severely damaged.
Violence in Fashir
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that hundreds of civilians and unarmed fighters in Sudan may have been killed during the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) siege of Fashir. Spokesperson Seif Magango stated that the number of deaths could be in the hundreds, including civilians and detainees, during the RSF’s attack on the city and its exit routes, as well as in the days following the takeover. Accounts of extrajudicial executions and mass killings were also reported.
Tens of thousands of people fled the city amid the unrest, with some accounts of atrocities in Fashir coming from survivors who had to walk for three or four days to the town of Longa. The office also received testimonies from aid workers indicating that at least 25 women were victims of gang rape when RSF fighters entered a displaced persons shelter near the university.
Both Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate have called for a strong response from the Donald Trump administration following the RSF’s control of new areas in Sudan, where they reportedly attacked civilians. Senator Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has requested that the United States officially designate the RSF as a foreign terrorist organization. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, a prominent Democrat on the committee, said she would likely support such a response from Washington.
Conclusion
The circulating video has no connection to the recent events in Sudan. It dates back to August 2020 and shows aid provided by Egypt to Sudan to address a wave of floods that occurred at the time. The current situation in Fashir paints a grim picture of violence and human rights abuses.
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