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TikTok user shares misleading video to suggest Ghanaians’ recruitment into Russian army

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Claim: A TikTok user shared a video of some men in uniform identifying them as Ghanaians who were recruited into the Russian armed forces. 

Verdict: False! A search indicates that the clip is from 2018 when Angola’s troops were parading and celebrating Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia.

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It’s always heartening to hear stories of Nigerians or Africans succeeding in countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The narrative becomes more captivating when Africans secure positions overseas in sectors traditionally considered challenging to penetrate. One such example is within the armed forces.

In November 2022, reports highlighted the advancement of Amanda Azubuike, a Nigerian woman, from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General in the United States Army stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA.

Born in London, United Kingdom, to Nigerian parents, Azubuike enlisted in the US Army in 1994 and later qualified as an aviator after completing the Army Aviation Officer Basic Course. General James Raine, the Commander of the US Army Futures Command, praised Azubuike’s leadership prowess, affirming that she “elevates the performance of everyone around her.”

News of such an improvement usually grabs the attention of indigenous Africans, and it typically goes viral on social media platforms.

A TikTok user named Kinzhal Uncensored shared a video of a group of black men singing and jogging in the presence of other white uniformed men who stood across in attention and were watching them in action.  

The video included an image of Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, along with an additional clip of the account owner explaining the content he uploaded.

He began with a short giggle and exclaimed, “Ghanaians are joining the Russian army, Ghanaians are joining the Russian army. Can you imagine? These are Ghanaians.”

The user continued, “I can’t believe Ghanaians are joining the Russian army, because it is the most powerful on the face of the earth.”

In a suggestive tone, he asked, “Are you African and you want to join the Russian army? President Putin has proven to be the strongest person on earth.” He then ended by reiterating his words about the strength of the Russian army, while also nodding along to the song the uniformed group of men were singing.

DUBAWA first checked through the post’s visible analytics and noted several reactions. As of April 17, 2024, between the hours of 4:31 and 4:40 pm, the video had garnered 27,300 likes, 4,595 comments, 2,923 bookmarks, and 4,756 shares.

Interestingly, among the numerous comments, many responses were from people who expressed interest in the post.

A user named Pastor Pure replied: “How can I join the Russian army from Nigeria?”

Another user, awododdella5, also Inquired: “Please, I am a serving soldier in Nigeria, how do I join the Russian army?”

Nicholadsetshedi, another commenter, said: “Salute Ghana. South Africa, please let us join Russian soldiers to defeat enemies of Russia. Uraa.”

However, among those who believed and showed interest in being part of the claimed recruitment, others seemed to disagree with the post.

0sk_multimedia, for instance, commented, “Get your information right before you make a post.”

DUBAWA observed that the flag these people were holding was not Ghanaian. The tribe they sang in was also unfamiliar, making it difficult to determine if it was Ghanaian. Overall, the video’s suspicious nature prompted a deeper search for the truth.

Verification

One of the reports described the clip as a day for celebrating the defenders of the Fatherland. The troops of the Omsk garrison held a formation parade and songs at Cathedral Square, Russia. The troops were identified as cadets from the Republic of Angola. 

According to the report shared in 2018, Omsk was captivated by cadets from the Republic of Angola, who marched in formation and sang a song in their native language. At the same time, the Angolans’ marching step was different in that they moved without bending their knees, earning them an award.

Other reports also provided the same details about what was happening in the video, and Ghana or recruitment was not mentioned anywhere. See them here and here.

After employing various search methods, the investigation yielded results from Yandex, a Reverse Image Search tool. This led DUBAWA  to reports from a reputable Russian media outlet known as ‘безформата’ or ‘bezformata’.

One of the reports described the clip as capturing a celebration of Defender of the Fatherland Day, during which troops of the Omsk garrison at Cathedral Square, Russia performed a formation parade and songs. These troops were identified as cadets from the Republic of Angola.

According to the report shared in 2018, Omsk was enthralled by the cadets from the Republic of Angola, who marched in formation and sang a song in their native language. Notably, the Angolans’ marching step was distinctive as they moved without bending their knees, earning them recognition.

Other reports corroborated the same details depicted in the video, with no mention of Ghana or recruitment. You can find them here and here.

More confirmation was acquired when DUBAWA confirmed the flag held by the uniformed men as an Angolan flag.

The speedy spread of false narratives on TikTok

DUBAWA closely monitored the user’s account who shared the claim about Ghanaians being recruited into the Russian army. It has been discovered that the user has been sharing numerous false videos. Currently, the user has 115,700 followers and 1.4 million likes. 

TikTok has emerged as a vast platform with a large and diverse audience, making it highly influential in disseminating content. The age range of TikTok users contributes to the rapid reaction to content on the platform for several reasons. First, younger users, who make up a significant portion of TikTok’s demographic, are often more active and engaged on social media platforms, leading to a faster response to content.

Secondly, younger users are typically more accustomed to the fast-paced nature of online interactions and are, therefore more likely to engage with content quickly. Moreover, the short attention spans of many users, particularly younger ones, mean that content needs to capture their interest quickly to maintain engagement.

The rapid spread of information on TikTok comes with the risk of spreading false or misleading information quickly. Due to its algorithm-driven nature and the ease with which content can go viral, misinformation can proliferate swiftly before it is fact-checked or corrected. This poses challenges in maintaining the accuracy and reliability of information shared on the platform, requiring vigilance and pre-emptive measures to address the spread of false information effectively.

Conclusion

After conducting thorough research, none of the results suggested the recruitment of Ghanaians into the Russian ranks. This renders the claim false.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Prime Progress, to facilitate the ethos of “ truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

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