A mix with traditional methods

[Shishirgano9]

“We found that a building visible in the video was built in late 2016. So we had an 18-month range. Then we established the angle between one of the men in uniform walking straight in the middle of the image and his shadow.” Using a public site that models light based on location, the investigators then determine the season. The range is further reduced. "We knew what conflict was going on in that area at that time ," Strick adds. "Nigerian refugees were being pushed back by the war into Cameroon, which was in conflict with its neighbor.


" The victims' clothing identified them as Nigerian. Still brazil mobile database not enough to identify the killers. The rest is more classic: identification of weapons (a specific model), used in this part of the country "as proven by other images posted on Facebook by Cameroonian soldiers" . The same goes for uniforms, despite repeated denials from the Cameroonian government. "Satellite images also showed us that a unit using these weapons and uniforms was stationed 880 meters from the execution site." The team then investigates on the ground to find out who, among the soldiers stationed there, was bragging and showing off possible trophies.


"With these cross-references, we identified three men on the video. The Cameroonian government then changed its strategy and released names of possible perpetrators. The three men in question were among them." This way of investigating is reminiscent of military intelligence methods. But it is now accessible to editorial staff, provided that they mobilize specific skills and find help: analysis of satellite images and the ability to correlate them with other information on the web; field investigation, data visualization, and a great spirit of deduction! As for the most precise satellite images, "they are not all classified, far from it," Strick says.