Fact-check: Ministry of Petroleum Undersecretary’s resignation letter is ‘fake’

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The Ministry of Petroleum said on its Facebook page that the letter purportedly showing the resignation of Awow Daniel Chaung was fabricated.

By Emmanuel Wani Yusif

Tens of social media users have shared a fake letter purportedly from the undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum, Awow Daniel Chuang appearing to state that he has resigned from his position in the revitalised transitional government of national unity.

The letter dated 20th April 2022, which went viral on social media last night claimed that the undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum, Awow Daniel Chuang has relinquished his position citing dissatisfaction with being demoted from ministerial position to undersecretary which undermines his credentials in the hierarchy.

“I, Hon. Awow Daniel Chaung, do hereby submit my resignation letter to the leadership of R-TGoNU as undersecretary in the ministry of petroleum with the effect of the date April 20/04/2022…,” partly reads the letter that has since been refuted by the ministry of petroleum.

Fake Letter Screenshot

When the letter first appeared, some social media users suggested it might be fake and there were several reasons to question its authenticity.

Firstly, the letter lacks the addresser’s address or letterhead – rather it starts directly with a date, unlikely for such an important letter. 

Secondly, the command of grammar and letter alignment are unusual and unlikely to be used by an official of the undersecretary’s calibre. The letter also lacks a stamp which should have been the case since he was holding the post at the time of resignation.

The ministry of petroleum confirmed the letter was false on its official Facebook page. 

In a statement published on the ministry of petroleum’s Facebook page, it refuted the authenticity of the claim saying the content and the signature in the letter are fake and baseless.

“This serves to inform the General Public, especially, the Media Houses that, the circulating letter with its content and signature is fake and baseless. Hon. Eng. Awow Daniel Chuang, still the able Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, Republic of South Sudan, Juba” reads the statement seen by 211 Check

It is not the first time supposed letters from government officials have been faked online. Similar letters have been debunked by 211 Check in the past.

CONCLUSION

211 Check has looked into the letter claiming that the Undersecretary at the ministry of petroleum has resigned and found it to be false. The Ministry of Petroleum said on its Facebook page that the letter purportedly showing the resignation of Awow Daniel Chaung was fabricated.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: This photo was not taken in a public hospital in South Sudan

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A photo of newborn babies laid on plastic chairs allegedly in a public hospital in South Sudan is FALSE. The picture emanated from Kawempe General Referral Hospital in Uganda in August 2019.

By Emmanuel Bida

A photo shared on WhatsApp about newly born babies on chairs allegedly in a public hospital in South Sudan is FALSE.

The photo was in fact taken at the Kawempe General Referral Hospital, Uganda in August 2019.

“Hello, 211 Check, can you verify for me this photo whether it was taken in one of the public hospitals in South Sudan?” reads a tip received by 211 Check via WhatsApp.

Misleading Image Shared on WhatsApp

A Google reverse image search on the photo returned results showing that the photo of the newborn babies laid on plastic chairs was actually not from any South Sudan hospital but from Kawempe General Referral Hospital, Uganda in August 2019.

The Ugandan government, through its ministry of health, had reacted to the incident.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a photo of newborn babies laid on plastic chairs, allegedly in a public hospital in South Sudan, and found it to be FALSE. The picture emanated from Kawempe General Referral Hospital in Uganda in August 2019.

We advise that any information that has not been reported by various notable broadcast, print or electronic media in South Sudan should be consumed with scepticism.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

Fact-check: Business grant scam in South Sudan resurfaces on Facebook

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In February 2022, 211 Check debunked the same business grant and reported the page to Facebook for removal. However, six days ago, another page was created and is running an ad about the same grant. A media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning says the Facebook page running the advert is fake. 

By Emmanuel Bida Thomas

A sponsored Facebook post on a page called “Ministry of Finance and Planning, South Sudan” purporting that it is giving out entrepreneurial and agricultural grants of up to three million dollars to small businesses in South Sudan is a hoax.

The advert claims that the grants in an effort to promote investment, agribusiness and economic empowerment is a partnership between USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network.

“We, therefore, advise entrepreneurs and farmers to take advantage of this great opportunity to apply for the grants by clicking on this link…,” partly reads the hoax published on Monday, 11th April 2022 that has since attracted over 500 interactions, 30 comments and 10 shares.

Screenshot of the hoax

They then direct users to fill in a google form, which requires applicants to provide personal details, such as name, phone number, email address and physical location, as well as the estimated cost of the business project they want to undertake.

Screenshot of the Google Form

When contacted by 211 Check, Maal Maker, a media official at the Ministry of Finance and Planning said the Facebook page running the advert is fake. He says updates from the ministry are shared on the minister’s social media accounts at the moment.

“The grant is a hoax. Currently, we have the minister’s Facebook page and Twitter accounts on his names,” the media official said.

The ‘Page transparency’ section of the false Facebook page reveals that it was created on April 5, 2022, whereas South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance & Planning verified Facebook page was created on March 30, 2020.

We can also find a link to the finance ministry’s genuine Facebook page here.

In February this year, 211 Check debunked a similar post from another imposter Facebook account going by the name “South Sudan’s Ministry of Finance and Planning created on 24th February 2022.

Do not fill out the form and disregard the information. You can also by reporting the post and page to Facebook for removal.

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a Facebook post claiming that the Ministry of Finance and Planning, USAID and Global Entrepreneurship Network is giving grants to small and medium scale businesses and finds it to be FALSE

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Was this a thief on a street light in Juba? No.

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By 211 Check Desk

Introduction

A photo allegedly of a thief on a street light pole avoiding beating in Juba is FALSE.

The photo shared on Facebook on March 28, 2022 by Insight Juba, a news and media website got over 180 interactions, 44 comments and 14 shares.

A screenshot of the misleading post taken on March 29, 2022

It shows a group of people looking up a street light where what looks to be a human is resting.

The post’s picture caption reads: “A thief climbed a street light pole to avoid beating in ( maybe Juba 🤷🏿‍♂️).” 

Findings:

Google reverse image searches found the picture in a tweet from March 08, 2019, by a Kenyan politician.

He captioned the picture. “Roho ni Moja jameni. Pictured is a thief avoiding being lynched by an angry mob.”

The photo was also shared in similar tweets on 23rd March 2022, Mar 12, 2022, here and also here.

Conclusion:

The photo allegedly of a thief on a street light pole avoiding beating in Juba is FALSE. The image is from March 2019 in Kenya.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our Africa Fact-checking Alliance incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: This photo shows a car bombing scene in Kabul, Afghanistan, not a fire outbreak in Juba

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By 211 Check Desk

Introduction:

A photo shared on Facebook by South Sudan Eye, a page that parades as a personal blog with over 48,000 followers claimed that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night.

In fact, the picture shows the scene of a car bombing outside a Defense Ministry building in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

“Juba on fire 🔥,” reads the Facebook post by South Sudan Eye on March 28, 2022 shared more than 5 times with over 290 interactions and 140 comments.

A screenshot of the misleading post taken on March 29, 2022

Juba is the capital city of South Sudan in Central Equatoria State.

The posts circulated after a State of Nation Address on Monday afternoon, in which President Salva Kiir Mayardit assured Juba residents of guaranteed security.

There were fears following deployment of security organs across the city that day.

However, the photo shared by South Sudan Eye on its Facebook page was not taken in Juba yesterday.

Findings:

A reverse image search on Google traced the photo to several news articles from July, 2019 including those by CNN and the New York Times. 

One of the articles is headlined “Kabul blast kills 6, injures 105 people”, referring to the incident from which the photo was taken.

Conclusion:

The photo shared on Facebook claiming that there was a fire outbreak in Juba last night is FALSE. The photo shows the scene of an incident in Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2019.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of ourAfrica Fact-checking Alliance incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Has the SPLM-IO been dissolved as claimed? No.

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A press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022 claiming that the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved is False. His press secretary Puok Both says the information is false and fabricated.

By 211 Check Desk

According to a press release allegedly from First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny released on Sunday, 06 March 2022, the SPLM-IO party has been dissolved.

“…Dr. Riek Machar Teny Dhorgon released a statement dissolving SPLM-IO party and joining the mother party SPLM under President Salva Kiir Mayardit,” partly reads the statement shared on WhatsApp.

Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement
Screenshot of the Misleading Press Statement

The statement was not released by Riek Machar, however.

Investigation

The statement is not viewable on Riek Machar’s Facebook Page or Twitter Account nor did 211 Check find any news reports of the alleged statement in South Sudan’s mainstream media.

The alleged statement shared by online users was not released by First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, his press secretary, Puok Both told 211 Check.

“This is false and fabricated information,” Puok Both said in a message reply to  211 Check.

Conclusion:

False. First Vice President, Riek Machar Teny has not dissolved his SPLM-IO party.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Scam Alert: Fake Facebook Accounts

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The Facebook accounts Awow Daniel Chaung and Josephine Napwon Cosmos asking random Messenger users to wire them money are imposters.

By 211 Check Desk

211 received reports about two Facebook accounts. The names Awow Daniel Chaung, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum, and Josephine Napwon Cosmos, Minister for Environment and Forestry, are both forgeries. They are pretending to be these government officials.

According to reports received by 211 Check, these accounts are randomly requesting monetary assistance from Facebook users via messenger, as shown in the screenshots below.

In one of the incidents, the fake accounts claim to have ordered a car from Japan, arrived at the Malaba border, and needed assistance so that a victim would send money for border clearance.

Screenshots of the Fake Accounts and their messages 

Surprisingly, if you repeatedly question them or become suspicious of them, they will block you and move on to the next unsuspecting prey.

The impostor usually gives unsuspecting people an MTN Uganda number so that money can be transferred through the line.

Josephine Napwon’s legitimate Facebook page is: Hon. Josephine Napwon – National Minister of Environment and Forestry RSS.

Awow Daniel Chaung does not run a personal page at the moment.

Spot and Avoid Government Impersonator Scams

  • A government impersonator scam often starts with a call, email, or text message from someone who says they’re with a government agency or official. They might give you their “some reason” to sound official. And they might have information about you, like your name or home address.
  • They’ll also give you some reason why you need to send money or give them your personal information immediately. If you get a message like that, ignore the message. It’s a scammer.
  • Because government agencies or officials won’t call, email, or text you and ask for money or personal information. Only a scammer will do that.

 How to avoid the scam

  • Don’t wire money, send cash, or use any kind of transaction to pay someone who says they’re a government official or agency. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and almost impossible to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear.
  • Don’t give your financial or other personal information to someone who calls, texts, or emails and says they’re a government official or agency. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct.
  • Don’t click on links in unexpected emails or text messages. Scammers send emails and text messages that look like they’re real, but are designed to steal your money and your personal information. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Simply delete the message.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-Check: This picture is not of a Yei girl married to a Whiteman.

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211 Check investigated a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and discovered it to be FALSE. Korra Obidi is a Nigerian dancer who recently gave birth to her second child. She is not a Yei South Sudanese.

By 211 Check 

A Facebook photo purportedly of one Miss Ajonye from Yei, Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, with her “kawaja” husband is deceptive.

The picture was shared on Wednesday this week with the caption, “First Yei Girl to be married to Kawaja and gat two baby boys. Congratulations Ajonye. Minori is proud. The whole South Sudan is happy for you.”

Screenshot of Misleading Facebook Post

But, is the lady in the picture from Yei, South Sudan? We checked it.

Findings:

A reverse image search, returned results of the same picture depicting the incident involving a Nigerian lady.

The picture shows Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer and her husband Justin Dean. They have been married for four years and she had given birth to their second child.

Screenshot of Korra Obidi’s Instagram Post

Conclusion:

211 Check has looked into a photo purportedly of a Yei girl married to a white man and finds it to be FALSE. The photo is of Korra Obidi, a Nigerian dancer who had given birth to her second child. She is not a South Sudanese from Yei

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: @BSS_Original is the authentic Twitter Account for the Bank of South Sudan

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The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

By 211 Check Desk 

The Central Bank of South Sudan currently has three Twitter accounts in its name, this has made it difficult for its followers to figure out which is authentic and actively used.

We cross checked to find out, which is legitimate.

Findings:

A spokesperson of the Bank of South Sudan, Majok .N. Arou tells 211 Check on Wednesday that the @BSS_Original created in February 2022 is their legitimate handle.

https://twitter.com/BSS_Original?s=09

“It is confirmed by the technician. It is our Twitter,” he told 211 Check in a WhatsApp message.

Independent examination by 211 Check also shows that the @BSS_Original account has been tweeting daily since creation.

Screenshot of Bank of South Sudan’s Authentic Twitter

The other account @BankofSouthSuda created in July 2013 last tweeted in January 2014 whereas the @BankofSouthS account created in December 2018 last tweeted in July 2019.

Conclusion:

The authentic Twitter account for the Bank of South Sudan is @BSS_Original. Therefore, any information published in other accounts bearing its name should be ignored.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.

Fact-check: Did Putin ask President Kiir to apologise?

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211 Check findings show that the viral videos are fake and digitally altered. They are satirical content intended for comedy.

By 211 Check Desk

Viral Tiktok videos in which Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have asked South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to apologise are satire.

Sharing two separate videos of some Indian news plates, social media users claim that South Sudan has condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine telling it to withdraw its forces immediately.

Screenshot of the Satirical Video

A separate video also claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned South Sudan to stay away from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and that South Sudan’s President Kiir should apologise.

“The President of the Republic of South Sudan H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit condemned Russia’s attack on Ukraine. He warned Russia’s President Putin to withdraw his troops before it is too late,” partly reads the satirical news.

Investigation:

211 Check findings show that the viral videos are fake and digitally altered. They are satirical content intended for comedy. The videos were made using a sophisticated app or software.

The video clips are a mix from different events. One is during an Al Jazeera interview with President Salva Kiir years back.

It should also be noted that until the time of publishing this fact-check, South Sudan has not issued an official statement condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Representatives of Western nations in South Sudan instead asked South Sudan to stand in solidarity with Ukraine according to a Monday report by Juba Echo

So, what did Putin say?

On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. He appeared for a televised address and declared a military operation that aims to ensure a demilitarisation of Ukraine

“I would like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be as you have never seen in your entire history,” Putin is quoted saying.

He did not specifically warn South Sudan. You can read his full speech here.

Conclusion:

Digitally altered videos claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin is said to have asked South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to apologise are satire.

#FactsMatter, Don’t be a victim of fake news; instead, let’s fight misinformation on both mainstream and alternative media. To avoid spreading false information, don’t share content you’re not sure about or don’t know where it came from.

To learn more about our fact-checking process, go to https://211check.org/how-to-fact-check/ or send us a WhatsApp message at +211 917 298 255 to present a claim, and our team will immediately fact-check it and respond.

This fact-check has been produced as part of our incubation program under Code for Africa.