Prominent Ethiopian politician, Jawar Mohammed, warns that the ruling Prosperity Party plans to use its “Cyber Army’ to stoke ethnic tensions in an effort to hold on to power.

A BBC investigation published on April 19, 2024, revealed that the Prosperity Party uses a “Cyber Army,” a network of fake social media accounts that smear critics, spread misinformation and incite ethnic violence. According to the report, the operation is led by government officials and coordinated through the state’s administrative structures.

In an exposé posted on his Facebook page, Jawar shared a screenshot of a Telegram group the ruling party reportedly uses to coordinate its “Cyber Army.”

An order shared in the Telegram group instructs all members to change the names of at least 10 Facebook pages they own with Amharic names, providing a list of names such as  “Dembelash Damte,” “Ambachew Temesgen,” and “Workitu Dessalegn” as examples. The order also demands members submit their real names, phone numbers, and links to their newly renamed pages as proof that they have completed the task.

Jawar, a vocal critic of Prime Minster Abiy, said the directive’s intent is “obvious” and urged caution. “People on all sides need to be vigilant.”

Meta (formerly Facebook) had previously removed a similar network on June 16, 2021, citing “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Meta’s internal review linked the operation to Ethiopia’s Information Network Security Agency (INSA).

The cyber army routinely promotes posts praising Prime Minister Abiy while attacking opposition groups and individuals viewed as threats to the ruling party. About $7,200 was paid to Meta for advertising to boost the reach of these accounts, the investigation further notes.