FACT CHECK: Do These Images Show Destroyed Sudanese Oil Pipelines?

A post shared on Facebook claims to show destroyed Sudanese oil pipelines.

Verdict: False

The images predate the Sudanese clashes.

Fact Check:

The Sudanese military and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces have been fighting for the past week, with hundreds being killed and thousands more wounded, according to BBC News.

The Facebook post claims to show images of Sudan oil pipelines destroyed by “locals in Port Sudan.” (RELATED: Does This Image Show Egyptian Soldiers Escaping From Sudan?)

Sudan oil pipelines that carry South Sudan oil have been razed down by locals in Port Sudan as fighting intensifies across the country. May almighty God protects south Sudanese and Sudanese in this critical situation,” reads the Facebook post.

However, through reverse image searches, Check Your Fact found that the images in the Facebook post predate the current fighting by years. The image showing the pipeline on fire is from 2006 and can be found on iStock. The image caption reads, “Leaking pipe flange in advanced burn after being left unchecked for 30 seconds. Fuel is leaking out at high pressure and burning in the background as well as on the ground.”

The second image showing the leaking pipeline is from 2010 and was also uploaded to iStock. Check Your Fact could not determine where these images were taken. There is also no evidence that oil pipelines in Port Sudan have been destroyed by locals or the fighting.

AFP Fact Check was the first to debunk this claim. The oil pipelines in Port Sudan have been blocked in the past, such as by protesters in 2021 over a peace deal, according to Middle East Eye.