Nigerian army lifts ban of UNICEF after spy accusations

A video that shows park rangers in a helicopter in Central African Republic has been used to incorrectly point the finger at the French army for supporting terrorists in Mali. We take a closer look in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Heavy gunfire could be heard coming from several military camps in Burkina Faso early on Sunday (January 23), the government said, but it denied the military had seized power. Heavy arms fire at the capital Ouagadougou's Sangoule Lamizana camp, which houses the army's general staff and a prison whose inmates include soldiers involved in a failed 2015 coup attempt, began at least as early as 5:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), a Reuters reporter said. The reporter later saw soldiers firing into the air in the camp. A witness also reported gunfire at a military camp in Kaya, around 100 kms (62 miles) north of Ouagadougou.

After being driven out of Uganda, the Lord's Resistance Army ran riot in the Central African Republic, where it behaved more like a criminal gang than a terrorist militia. Now the LRA's days seem to be numbered.

This week on The Observers, we investigated an incident in Nia Ouro, Mali on January 4. Residents claimed that men dressed in Malian military uniforms killed four civilians and reduced buildings in the village to ashes. We spoke to an eyewitness, analysed videos taken after the event and cross-referenced satellite imagery to put together the days events.

France says nearly 60 fighters from Islamist militias were killed in the days leading up to the coup. The jihadists were killed by forces involved with Operation Barkhane led by France.

When fiction is portrayed as fact: a French film is hijacked to stir anti-Ukrainian sentiment in Chechnya. In this edition of Truth or Fake, we also debunk yet more claims that President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife have fled the country.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been running high in recent days. Israeli forces have carried out fresh raids in the West Bank after a spate of recent deadly attacks.

The French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn for the last time last week, with 100 vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the barren desert terrain. Helicopters whirred above as air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armoured cars leaving the camp near the town of Gossi.

The UN's children's agency reported that the amount of children fleeing conflict and other crises is the highest number on record. UNICEF says "cascading crises" are to blame.

A video has done the rounds on social media, claiming to show attempts by the Ukrainian army to enrol young recruits by force. The video depicts men in army fatigues chasing a young man around a residential complex. We tell you why these claims are false.

Days after one of the bloodiest crackdowns on protests against Sudan's military coup, the head of the army has announced the dissolution of the governing sovereign council to make way for a civilian leadership. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says the military will not participate in talks brokered by the UN and regional blocs, aimed at breaking the stalemate with the civilian opposition. However, Burhan has not specifed any dates, nor mentioned who would replace the army at the negotiating table.

Days after one of the bloodiest crackdowns on protests against Sudan's military coup, the head of the army has announced the dissolution of the governing sovereign council to make way for a civilian leadership. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says the military will not participate in talks brokered by the UN and regional blocs, aimed at breaking the stalemate with the civilian opposition. However, Burhan has not specifed any dates, nor mentioned who would replace the army at the negotiating table.