Villages like Mutube near the Sambisi Forest have disappeared without a trace as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2017.
These two small traditional villages that once sat on the southern side of the Sambisi were erased between 2016 and 2017.
These buildings sitting on an integral junction of a highway in #Nigeria's north, just south of #Bama, show signs of their destruction.
Defensive measures from the constant barrage of #BokoHaram suicide bombings and attacks have been trenches. This strategic highway junction south of Nguro-Soye is guarded with this tactic. The YouTube clip from a Nigerian city shows how deep they are.
Nguro Soye, 10km south-east of Bama in Nigeria's north, was quite an active town. Satellite imagery from March, 2018, shows its current destructive state.
These two satellite images show the scale of displaced Nigerians seeking refuge in #Dikwa (Satellite images from Nov, 2016 and March 2018).
Many displaced Nigerians cross the border into #Cameroon seeking refuge. Satellite images show #Minawao Refugee Camp in the #MayoTsanaga region of Cameroon growing into a city with more than 95,000 refugees since 2014.
Far North Cameroon's Kolofata has also started implementing Nigeria's trench protection system as of Spetember last year, as a way to stop Boko Haram suicide bombers from enterring the town.
Satellite images from the garrison town Monguno, Nigeria (2015/2018). This is another one of Nigeria's safe havens, protected by a trench encircling the town.
Google Earth from the north-east area of Monguno, Nigeria (2015/2018). This protected town, and others like it, offer refuge for more than 1 million displaced Nigerians.
Nigeria's President: Boko Haram militants 'technically defeated' (December 2015). bbc.com/news/world-afr…
This is Monguno, in Nigeria's Borno State (2015 and 2018). This is not what winning a war looks like. @AmnestyNigeria
Some villages in the Borno State, despite their neighboring communities being destroyed, have expanded in recent years. This #Nigeria village's development was quite interesting, given the rest of the villages in the area have been wiped out by #BokoHaram
On August 10, this developed village (above) was bombed by Nigerian Air Force as a suspected #BokoHaram hotspot.
Location: goo.gl/maps/JwAz5nxug…
A second village, further South of the first strike, was bombed by a #Nigeria Air Force gunship on August 10. This village had only begun to exist since 2014 and was suspected to be a lead #BokoHaram stronghold.
Location of suspected BH camp: goo.gl/maps/PTZbFj9ge…
Freely available satellite imagery can indentify human rights abuses, war, and assist journalists in their verification of details. Two tools are @googleearth and @sentinel_hub. Here's a quick run through on them from me in my first @bellingcat article. bellingcat.com/resources/how-…
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Today US DoJ announced seizure of two domains and the search of 968 accounts on X used in a "Russian-government backed campaign" to spread disinformation.
Affidavit includes all of the accounts requested from X 👇
The DoJ announcement said the campaign used elements of AI to create fictitious social media profiles purporting to belong to individuals in the United States, which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives. justice.gov/opa/pr/justice…
The affidavit for the accounts on X shows that all of the accounts were registered to email addresses that were either using the domain 'otanmail' or 'mlrtr' justice.gov/d9/2024-07/aff…
A new coordinated network of fake accounts pretending to be ‘Real Sikhs’ is targeting activists, stoking tensions and promoting Indian Govt narratives.
Who are they, what do they post, and how do they spread their campaign? Report:
Let's take a look 👇🧵 info-res.org/post/return-of…
Before we start, it's important to note that this is not the first time we have exposed a network like this at @Cen4infoRes. In Nov 2021 we identified a similar network. But in the months after the accounts were removed, new accounts popped up.
In this new network, what we do know is the network of fake accounts posts content to undermine Sikh activists, stoke cultural tensions and promote Indian government narratives. But who are the accounts, and how are they posting so that we can catch future attempts?
In April, CNN journalists were led to the 'home' of Haitian gang lord Vitel’homme Innocent and interviewed him. He is on @FBIMostWanted's Top 10, with a bounty of up to $2 million.
I mapped their drive and found his home here: 18.5278, -72.2314. Here's how👇🧵
First, I did this because knowing the location of where a gang lord responsible for horrible violence is helpful, even if he might not be there after CNN visited. Vitel is the leader of Kraze Barye and is on the @FBIMostWanted list for taking hostages, and sanctioned by UN.
This is the footage I used to geolocate Vitel'Homme Innocent's house, where the interview was conducted. I'll go through some of the scenes to provide proofs of how I made the geographical matches, using Google Earth.
Google Earth has updated the whole of Sudan's El Geneina to reveal the disturbing scale of damage which happened during a reported ethnic cleansing campaign over the past year by the RSF and allied militias. Images shows #elgeneina from 2022 & 2024. More in the thread below 👇
Looking at the destruction visible on Google Earth, it's clear there were large areas targeted in El Geneina's west and east. It's worth noting that some of the shaded areas in the east had remainders of where there was previous destruction from clashes prior to 2023.
The destruction can be clearly seen in this area on Google Earth, just west of the centre of Darfur's El Geneina. The comparison is of Oct 2022 and April 2024. This satellite imagery is just a visualisation of the horrors that were committed by the RSF in its campaign.
The situation in the Darfur city El Fasher (الفاشر) is extremely concerning. It's the last city not under control by the dangerous Rapid Support Forces and has been a safe haven for those fleeing attacks by the RSF.
It is now a city under siege and in a grave situation. /1
According to @MSF, a paediatric hospital in El Fasher was damaged due to the ongoing fighting. MSF ground staff reported a Sudanese Armed Forces air strike exploded nearby causing the damage. Two children died in the ICU. /2
An update on Sudan's El Fasher from @MSF on May 15 indicated that since fighting began on May 10, 454 casualties had arrived at South Hospital in El Fasher. It was reported that 56 died, but that the wounded and death toll would be higher. /3 msf.org/sudan-nowhere-…
Google Earth has updated its satellite imagery of many parts of Sudan. Looking over West Darfur city of El Geneina, I am shocked at the level of destruction. In some parts, whole areas have been destroyed and cleared. Location: 13.4469, 22.4151 (dates: April 2023 & March 2024)
The burn damage around El Geneina's specialised hospital is incredible.
It's not just the widespread burning of structures that we see in El Geneina, as a result of the ongoing violence in Sudan, but there are also clear indications of structures that have been removed, like these warehouses, located at 13.43324, 22.41364