Fact-check: This picture is not of a South Sudanese man in Gudele, Juba

The picture has been online since August 2023, but its origin is unknown.

Writer: Makur Majeng

A photo shared in a post by Top in South Sudan, a Facebook page allegedly showing a man in Gudele, Juba, is false.

Gudele is a large neighbourhood in South Sudan’s capital Juba City.

“Gudele Man shared an amazing picture of himself and his bestie watching the music video “RELAX”….,” claims Top in South Sudan’s post.

211 Check investigation reveals that the photo shared by the page was not captured in Gudele, as claimed. 

The photo has been posted multiple times on various social media platforms by different media houses, indicating its widespread usage.

Screenshot of the Facebook post by Top in South Sudan

Claim Verification:

Upon investigation, it was found that the claim made by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page is false. Our research indicates that the photo shared by the page was not captured in Gudele, as they claim. 

A simple Google reverse image search revealed that multiple media houses have used the same photo across different social media platforms. This indicates that the photo in question is not exclusive to Gudele Man or the Top in South Sudan Facebook page. 

Several media outlets have shared the same picture in various contexts, such as travel articles, lifestyle features, and unrelated news stories. 

The photo has been circulating on the internet for some time and has no direct correlation to the claimed scenario of a man in Gudele, Juba, watching a music video.

Conclusion:

211 Check has found the claim in a post by the Top in South Sudan Facebook page, allegedly a photo of a man in Gudele, Juba, false. The photo shared was not taken in Gudele, as claimed, and has been widely circulated across various social media platforms by different media houses.

Online fact-checking tools such as Google Reverse Image Search can help identify an image’s source and usage history. Users must exercise caution and verify claims before sharing or accepting them as true.

A publication under 211 Check’s ‘Fact-check for a pay’ Initiative with Support from the International Fact-checking Network through the BUILD grant.

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