FACT CHECK: Do These Pictures Show Roads In The Congo Before And After Ugandan Intervention?

Hannah Hudnall | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on Facebook purportedly shows roads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before and after Ugandan intervention.

Verdict: False

Neither image included in the post shows roads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The top picture shows the Trans-Amazonian Highway in Brazil, while the bottom photo shows the Mpigi-Kanoni Road in Uganda.

Fact Check:

Uganda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo are currently working together to build hundreds of kilometers of roads to better connect the two countries in a project known as the “Regional Connectivity Roads Project,” according to a Global Construction Review article. Dott Services, a Ugandan construction company, began work on the $330 million project earlier this year, the outlet reported.

A post shared on Facebook claims the partnership is already producing results. It features two photos, one of a dirt road crowded with vehicles, the other showing a paved road complete with pavement markings. “DR Congo Roads before Uganda’s intervention vs soon after its intervention. #freshtvupdates,” reads the post’s caption. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Young People Stopping A Police Officer From Stealing A Ballot Box During Uganda’s 2021 Presidential Election?)

Through reverse image searches, however, Check Your Fact discovered neither photo shows roads in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first picture, showing the dirt road, was first shared in 2010 on the website Izismile.com along with a description that explains it shows the Trans-Amazonian Highway in Brazil, which is nearly 4,000 kilometers and only partly paved, according to BBC. The images shared on Izismile.com match photos of the highway included in the BBC article. The image shared on Facebook is also featured in an Amusing Planet article about the Brazilian highway.

The second photo, the one showing the paved road, was shared by the verified Twitter account for the Uganda National Roads Authority in 2019 with a caption that explains it is the Mpigi-Kanoni Road in Uganda.

COMPLETE: Mpigi—Kanoni road project [65km] is now at 100%,” reads the tweet. “Traverses districts of Mpigi, Butambala & Gomba. According to communities, the returns from the project are immense. The road has eased transportation of agricultural produce like Coffee, e.t.c… #UNRAworks.”

The photo was also shared by the verified Twitter account for the Ugandan Ministry of Works & Transport on the same day, with a caption that reads, “As far as your eyes can go and beyond. The completed Mpigi-Kanoni Road (65kms) is fully funded by Government of Uganda. #ConnectingPeople #ConnectingLives #GoUWorks.”

Hannah Hudnall

Fact Check Reporter

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