By Adeyemi Adekunle
A viral Facebook post claiming hundreds of youths were publicly executed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been debunked.
Verdict: False!
Full Text:
The post, which featured a series of dramatic images, alleged the victims were handcuffed, flown on planes, and killed in mass executions. However, evidence gathered by Lens Check reveals that the post misrepresents the origins of the images and the events it claims to depict.
The first set of pictures used in the post were verified as scenes from a military execution carried out on Al-Shabaab members in Somalia. And the photo was published before the event the Facebook user pointed out.
The second set of images shows the somber laying in state of victims from M23 rebel attacks in the DRC, as reported by the BBC’s Gahuza.
While the DRC has witnessed controversial sentencing of some youths recently, there is no credible evidence—photos or videos—indicating any public executions have occurred.
This misleading post is part of a troubling trend of False claims stirring emotions and confusion, especially in conflict zones where misinformation spreads quickly. Authorities and fact-checkers urge the public to verify sources before sharing such inflammatory content.
