Zecharias Zelalem
@zekuzelalem.bsky.social
Visiting fellow at the @ecfr.eu. Award-winning journalist, eyes on the Horn of Africa. Migration, human rights, OSINT.
https://www.aljazeera.com/author/zecharias-zelalem
https://www.aljazeera.com/author/zecharias-zelalem
Genocide resumes, reads this weekend's cover of @thecontinent.org, as El Fasher falls to the Rapid Support Forces after a year long siege.
Gruesome images of their killing spree that is estimated to have killed thousands, make the rounds. What Sudanese activists warned would happen is playing out.
Gruesome images of their killing spree that is estimated to have killed thousands, make the rounds. What Sudanese activists warned would happen is playing out.
November 1, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Genocide resumes, reads this weekend's cover of @thecontinent.org, as El Fasher falls to the Rapid Support Forces after a year long siege.
Gruesome images of their killing spree that is estimated to have killed thousands, make the rounds. What Sudanese activists warned would happen is playing out.
Gruesome images of their killing spree that is estimated to have killed thousands, make the rounds. What Sudanese activists warned would happen is playing out.
Mariam Mohammed Abdullah was severely injured in the strike. Due to no fault of their own, the massacre of her people, innocent Afar pastoralists, led to the alignment of the geopolitical interests of regional & international powers & a joint effort to depict this mother of eight as a terrorist.
September 28, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Mariam Mohammed Abdullah was severely injured in the strike. Due to no fault of their own, the massacre of her people, innocent Afar pastoralists, led to the alignment of the geopolitical interests of regional & international powers & a joint effort to depict this mother of eight as a terrorist.
On June 23 2025, despite the best efforts of Djiboutian activists, the renewal of the French-Djiboutian military pact was ratified. During pre-vote debate, Jean-Paul Lecoq, a communist MP, accused the Djiboutian gov of carrying out airstrikes against its people & those of neighbouring Ethiopia.
September 28, 2025 at 7:00 AM
On June 23 2025, despite the best efforts of Djiboutian activists, the renewal of the French-Djiboutian military pact was ratified. During pre-vote debate, Jean-Paul Lecoq, a communist MP, accused the Djiboutian gov of carrying out airstrikes against its people & those of neighbouring Ethiopia.
But people from across the region are unanimous in their disappointment over the silence of this woman, Aisha Mohammed Mussa. Not only does she hail from the Afar ethnicity, she's actually the Ethiopian federal government's Minister of Defense.
Double whammy.
Double whammy.
September 28, 2025 at 6:48 AM
But people from across the region are unanimous in their disappointment over the silence of this woman, Aisha Mohammed Mussa. Not only does she hail from the Afar ethnicity, she's actually the Ethiopian federal government's Minister of Defense.
Double whammy.
Double whammy.
I also reached out to FRUD. Their chief, Mohamed Kadamy explained to me that his forces "were nowhere near the site when [the strike] happened." He added that FRUD rebels, largely recruited from the Afar population do operate across the border areas...but none of the 3 reported strikes ever hit them
September 28, 2025 at 6:38 AM
I also reached out to FRUD. Their chief, Mohamed Kadamy explained to me that his forces "were nowhere near the site when [the strike] happened." He added that FRUD rebels, largely recruited from the Afar population do operate across the border areas...but none of the 3 reported strikes ever hit them
You'll want to see this:
The dishonesty in Paris was something else. France may have been renewing its agreement with Djibouti, but there was already one in place. One that since 1991, gave France the responsibility of jointly patrolling Djibouti's airspace and waters.
The dishonesty in Paris was something else. France may have been renewing its agreement with Djibouti, but there was already one in place. One that since 1991, gave France the responsibility of jointly patrolling Djibouti's airspace and waters.
September 28, 2025 at 6:22 AM
You'll want to see this:
The dishonesty in Paris was something else. France may have been renewing its agreement with Djibouti, but there was already one in place. One that since 1991, gave France the responsibility of jointly patrolling Djibouti's airspace and waters.
The dishonesty in Paris was something else. France may have been renewing its agreement with Djibouti, but there was already one in place. One that since 1991, gave France the responsibility of jointly patrolling Djibouti's airspace and waters.
Questions remain: Why has Ethiopia stayed silent about a massacre in its territory? Why was Djibouti so eager to cover it up that its Presidential advisor Alexis Mohamed claimed that reports of an atrocity in Ethiopia were "pure misinformation orchestrated by elements hostile to Djibouti"?
September 28, 2025 at 5:39 AM
Questions remain: Why has Ethiopia stayed silent about a massacre in its territory? Why was Djibouti so eager to cover it up that its Presidential advisor Alexis Mohamed claimed that reports of an atrocity in Ethiopia were "pure misinformation orchestrated by elements hostile to Djibouti"?
In 2022, Djibouti held a military parade to celebrate the country's 45th year of independence from France. There, they paraded their Bayraktar TB2 drone, fitted with the same Roketsan warhead used at Siyaru. You can actually read the Roketsan logo.
From 1:15:20
youtu.be/ifnWPKpvnWU?...
From 1:15:20
youtu.be/ifnWPKpvnWU?...
September 28, 2025 at 5:33 AM
In 2022, Djibouti held a military parade to celebrate the country's 45th year of independence from France. There, they paraded their Bayraktar TB2 drone, fitted with the same Roketsan warhead used at Siyaru. You can actually read the Roketsan logo.
From 1:15:20
youtu.be/ifnWPKpvnWU?...
From 1:15:20
youtu.be/ifnWPKpvnWU?...
Exclusive images of the remnants of the drone bomb obtained from the scene. This is from a MAM-L laser guided bomb. Manufactured by Turkish company Roketsan, with a blast radius of about 15 meters. You can't accidentally target and kill 8 civilians with a precise weapon like this. Premediated.
September 28, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Exclusive images of the remnants of the drone bomb obtained from the scene. This is from a MAM-L laser guided bomb. Manufactured by Turkish company Roketsan, with a blast radius of about 15 meters. You can't accidentally target and kill 8 civilians with a precise weapon like this. Premediated.
The area in the footage is at these coordinates:
11°58'56.05"N 42° 3'8.36"E.
The exact location is somewhere in the clip. But the entire area is approximately 1.2 - 2km within Ethiopian territory, and actually 7.2-8km away from Addorta, where Djibouti claims it took place.
11°58'56.05"N 42° 3'8.36"E.
The exact location is somewhere in the clip. But the entire area is approximately 1.2 - 2km within Ethiopian territory, and actually 7.2-8km away from Addorta, where Djibouti claims it took place.
September 28, 2025 at 5:24 AM
The area in the footage is at these coordinates:
11°58'56.05"N 42° 3'8.36"E.
The exact location is somewhere in the clip. But the entire area is approximately 1.2 - 2km within Ethiopian territory, and actually 7.2-8km away from Addorta, where Djibouti claims it took place.
11°58'56.05"N 42° 3'8.36"E.
The exact location is somewhere in the clip. But the entire area is approximately 1.2 - 2km within Ethiopian territory, and actually 7.2-8km away from Addorta, where Djibouti claims it took place.
Apple Maps imagery of the area vs the stitched layout from the video taken of the young men collecting a victim's body a day later.
The exact spot being in this area's vicinity, would be consistent with eyewitness accounts, and the fact that a body was collected from the same location.
The exact spot being in this area's vicinity, would be consistent with eyewitness accounts, and the fact that a body was collected from the same location.
September 28, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Apple Maps imagery of the area vs the stitched layout from the video taken of the young men collecting a victim's body a day later.
The exact spot being in this area's vicinity, would be consistent with eyewitness accounts, and the fact that a body was collected from the same location.
The exact spot being in this area's vicinity, would be consistent with eyewitness accounts, and the fact that a body was collected from the same location.
From here, it was manual labour, including following pathways through the mountains on Google Earth, and canvassing mountains for chains of peaks that resemble what we stitched together.
Peakvisor landed me a match sometime in June.
Peakvisor landed me a match sometime in June.
September 28, 2025 at 5:16 AM
From here, it was manual labour, including following pathways through the mountains on Google Earth, and canvassing mountains for chains of peaks that resemble what we stitched together.
Peakvisor landed me a match sometime in June.
Peakvisor landed me a match sometime in June.
With specific huts, or sheet metal structures narrowing things down...stitching together about seven or eight screenshots from the 26 second video above, rendered the layout of the area clear, including the area where the two men are seen standing.
September 28, 2025 at 5:12 AM
With specific huts, or sheet metal structures narrowing things down...stitching together about seven or eight screenshots from the 26 second video above, rendered the layout of the area clear, including the area where the two men are seen standing.
You can't literally "pound the pavement" remotely, but speaking with locals helped me identify the names of mountains, & also specific areas the numbers of "Oguh," traditional Afar huts which are used by nomads to shelter goats from hyenas. I was wondering what these circles were for months.
September 28, 2025 at 5:08 AM
You can't literally "pound the pavement" remotely, but speaking with locals helped me identify the names of mountains, & also specific areas the numbers of "Oguh," traditional Afar huts which are used by nomads to shelter goats from hyenas. I was wondering what these circles were for months.
All the eyewitnesses & local media reports identified "Siyaru" as the atrocity site. But it's a very remote, underdeveloped mountainous terrain on the border where nomads roam, stretching as far as 50 km. Sending someone out there was out of the question, as journalism could land you in jail there.
September 28, 2025 at 5:01 AM
All the eyewitnesses & local media reports identified "Siyaru" as the atrocity site. But it's a very remote, underdeveloped mountainous terrain on the border where nomads roam, stretching as far as 50 km. Sending someone out there was out of the question, as journalism could land you in jail there.
After about a week, footage like this of locals speaking about the strike stopped emerging. Djiboutian authorities had apparently threatened families about speaking up, and it stopped trending in East African circles.
September 28, 2025 at 4:54 AM
After about a week, footage like this of locals speaking about the strike stopped emerging. Djiboutian authorities had apparently threatened families about speaking up, and it stopped trending in East African circles.
This is Ali Orbis, telling the unidentified cameraman a day after the strike, that he lost two sons in it. Both of his sons are named in the list provided by the LDDH. Accounts like this were rendered non existent, due to the avalanche of reports that echoed the widely reported claim of dead rebels.
September 28, 2025 at 4:53 AM
This is Ali Orbis, telling the unidentified cameraman a day after the strike, that he lost two sons in it. Both of his sons are named in the list provided by the LDDH. Accounts like this were rendered non existent, due to the avalanche of reports that echoed the widely reported claim of dead rebels.
All of the eyewitness accounts made it clear: only civilians died, & the strike took place on the Ethiopian side. Eventually, the Djiboutian Human Rights League, an exiled org that investigates abuses, produced a list of victims, & also stated the strike happened on the Ethiopian side of the border.
September 28, 2025 at 4:49 AM
All of the eyewitness accounts made it clear: only civilians died, & the strike took place on the Ethiopian side. Eventually, the Djiboutian Human Rights League, an exiled org that investigates abuses, produced a list of victims, & also stated the strike happened on the Ethiopian side of the border.
Between March & May, I spoke at length with eyewitnesses, two survivors, and people familiar with the Afar region. While the strike wasn't caught on camera...a day after it happened, locals went back to collect bodies that were left behind in the panic. Some took cameras & caught scenes like this.
September 28, 2025 at 4:45 AM
Between March & May, I spoke at length with eyewitnesses, two survivors, and people familiar with the Afar region. While the strike wasn't caught on camera...a day after it happened, locals went back to collect bodies that were left behind in the panic. Some took cameras & caught scenes like this.
If there's one thing that genocide in Gaza taught me about media, it's that narratives can be buried in headlines, selective quoting, & how deep past the lede you place it. Major intl coverage buried doubts of civilian suffering. Until recently, Chatgpt depicted the strike as an act of self defense.
September 28, 2025 at 4:40 AM
If there's one thing that genocide in Gaza taught me about media, it's that narratives can be buried in headlines, selective quoting, & how deep past the lede you place it. Major intl coverage buried doubts of civilian suffering. Until recently, Chatgpt depicted the strike as an act of self defense.
With rumours still circulating, on February 1st, the government of Djibouti clarified in a communique that it had indeed launched a drone assault, targeting what it said were "terrorists," armed rebels based in a remote location in the country near the Ethiopian border.
September 28, 2025 at 4:22 AM
With rumours still circulating, on February 1st, the government of Djibouti clarified in a communique that it had indeed launched a drone assault, targeting what it said were "terrorists," armed rebels based in a remote location in the country near the Ethiopian border.
THREAD: this investigation took up over half my year, but it's here in @thecontinent.org:
A Djiboutian drone strike in January was depicted as a army operation targeting rebels. It was actually a massacre of civilians. The bloodshed & coverup implicating Ethiopia, Djibouti, France & Turkiye.
#OSINT
A Djiboutian drone strike in January was depicted as a army operation targeting rebels. It was actually a massacre of civilians. The bloodshed & coverup implicating Ethiopia, Djibouti, France & Turkiye.
#OSINT
September 28, 2025 at 4:14 AM
THREAD: this investigation took up over half my year, but it's here in @thecontinent.org:
A Djiboutian drone strike in January was depicted as a army operation targeting rebels. It was actually a massacre of civilians. The bloodshed & coverup implicating Ethiopia, Djibouti, France & Turkiye.
#OSINT
A Djiboutian drone strike in January was depicted as a army operation targeting rebels. It was actually a massacre of civilians. The bloodshed & coverup implicating Ethiopia, Djibouti, France & Turkiye.
#OSINT
You stayed true to your own words, so the Wapo acting like this was inevitable. Thank you for your bravery and for your convictions!
September 19, 2025 at 11:26 PM
You stayed true to your own words, so the Wapo acting like this was inevitable. Thank you for your bravery and for your convictions!
Khalid Mohammed Ibrahim has been on death row in KSA since 2019. An unofficial moratorium in 2021 on drugs related executions gave hope to his family that he'd be spared. But that moratorium has ended. Khalid &fellow inmates at Najiran prison have been told to send goodbye messages to their families
June 27, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Khalid Mohammed Ibrahim has been on death row in KSA since 2019. An unofficial moratorium in 2021 on drugs related executions gave hope to his family that he'd be spared. But that moratorium has ended. Khalid &fellow inmates at Najiran prison have been told to send goodbye messages to their families
Founded by Tsedale Lemma ( @tsedale.bsky.social), AS has faced shutdowns, harassment, arrests of staff, while documenting wars and holding the powerful to account.
AS was nominated among media from the likes of India, Afghanistan & Syria & is one of two longlisted African newsrooms.
#OWMAwards2025
AS was nominated among media from the likes of India, Afghanistan & Syria & is one of two longlisted African newsrooms.
#OWMAwards2025
April 17, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Founded by Tsedale Lemma ( @tsedale.bsky.social), AS has faced shutdowns, harassment, arrests of staff, while documenting wars and holding the powerful to account.
AS was nominated among media from the likes of India, Afghanistan & Syria & is one of two longlisted African newsrooms.
#OWMAwards2025
AS was nominated among media from the likes of India, Afghanistan & Syria & is one of two longlisted African newsrooms.
#OWMAwards2025