/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/7WQTAPOTNJLH5IS5JCMDMYFK34.jpg "Facebook says it removed fake Ethiopia account network ahead of election")
Facebook says it removed fake Ethiopia account network ahead of election
June 16 (Reuters) - Facebook Inc (FB.O) said on Wednesday it had removed a network of fake accounts in Ethiopia targeting domestic users ahead of next week’s elections, which it linked to individuals associated with the country’s Information Network Security Agency.
Facebook said the network posted mainly in Amharic about news and current events, including about Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Prosperity Party. It said the network posted critical commentary about opposition politicians and groups including the Oromo Liberation Front, Ethiopian Democratic Party, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front among others.
The head of INSA did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The agency, which was set up years before Abiy came to power, is responsible for monitoring telecommunications and the internet.
"INSA is under the ministry of peace and an independent institution - you can address your question there," Billene Seyoum, the prime minister's spokeswoman, told Reuters when asked about Facebook's action.
